Baltimore Runners Participate in Multiday Run

A Race Report on the 3 Days at the Fair Ultramarathon by Tom Nasuta and Hugh Wilson

On May 15th a small group of runners from Maryland traveled to northern New Jersey to participate in a running event that many runners would never consider. While most members of the running community prefer to participate in races ranging from 5K to the

half marathon, and some more adventurous runners might even consider a marathon, this special group of runners participated in running events that lasted 24 or 48 hours.

Multiday running is not new. In fact events like this date back to the 1800's.  For 2014 the group from Baltimore traveled to a race called 3 Days at the Fair, a multiday race held from May 14th to May 17th at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in northern New Jersey. Rick and Jennifer McNulty are the event founders and organizers. Working alongside their family and other race volunteers, this multiday running event has evolved into a running event that attracts many of the top runners in this segment of the running community. The event includes races ranging from 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours and the goal of these races are for runners to see how far they can run during the allotted period of time.
 
Another variable that makes this running event unusual is that it is run on a 1-mile paved loop.  While initially this may seem unappealing, runners are always close to a well stocked aid-station. In the event of illness, fatigue or bad weather, the runners are always within close proximity of their tents, vehicles or restrooms. In addition the lap counting is extremely simple – every loop is another mile – and the lap counting and timing is handled by the race management staff.


Course map for the 3 Days at the Fair ultra-marathon in  New Jersey. The aid station, timing, restrooms and medical resources are all at a central location on the course if needed.

What happened

The 48 hour race was scheduled to start on Friday morning. We arrived Thursday afternoon while the 72 hour race was already underway. This provided time to set up our campsite in daylight right next to the course. Once setup we traveled a short distance to get additional supplies and have dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Baltimore Runners Hugh Wilson, Christian Creutzer, Tom Nasuta and Harry Good at their campsite adjacent to the course just prior to the start of the 48 hour race.

 

The next morning the race started promptly at 9:00am. Harry Good and Hugh Wilson were both planning to run\walk for 48 hours.  Tom Nasuta was planning to cover 50 miles each day of the 2 day race and shoot for 100 miles.  Christian Creutzer planned to run 5 miles and walk a mile as long as he could.  The reason I share these strategies, is that everyone has a different plan going into a timed race.  Some runners go back to their car or tents to sleep during the race and resume running after a brief rest. Some runners run or walk until they have had enough and then drive home.   

One of the most interesting aspects of this race for 2014 was the elite field of participants. World class runners Joe Fejes, Serge Arbona and Phil McCarthy are several of the top runners in the world in the 48 hour race category. Each of these men have impressive running resumes and are highly ranked in the national rankings for multiday running.

Day 1 of the Race tested our patience
Even with the best of preparations, sometimes there are just some things you cannot avoid and bad weather is one of them.  The race started easily and for several hours everyone cautiously circled the loop.   Severe thunderstorms were expected and by mid-morning it started to rain. Fortunately there wasn’t thunder and lightning so many of the more experienced runners continued to run. It continued to rain for 13.5 hours! This mentally was exhausting and when evening came it also got cold.   

It was during this 1st day that many of us from Baltimore thought about the difficult winter we had trained through in preparation for this race. In fact most of the runners had trained through similar conditions.  One of the most pleasant surprises was meeting other ultrarunners from our home town.  Due to the weather we needed to change clothes often. Many of us noted clothing with Charm City Run, Maryland Adventure Trail Run and the Baltimore Road Runners Club logos and we quickly introduced ourselves.  This provided the opportunity to make new friends and support one another at the task at hand.  Many thanks to CCR, MATR and BRRC for your support in preparing for this race and creating this unexpected opportunity.

During this 1st day, in spite of the conditions, the majority of the runners adapted to the conditions.  Food items provided by the race volunteers was excellent.  We were pleased to be accumulating the miles and working toward our individual goal.  It was especially pleasing to see the comradery that was evolving on the course throughout the day. Strangers were introducing themselves to one another and working together.

Conditions Improve for Day 2 of the Race

Saturday morning brought us much more pleasant conditions. As the sun rose, the puddles on the course evaporated and we could continue to make progress.  Although we were able to change clothes as needed, it was impossible for the runners to keep their feet dry during the 1st day and many of us were experiencing blisters and foot pain. But the runners and walkers continue making progress.

In summary, the weather conditions obviously impacted our performances at this race, but ultrarunners are very resilient.  All of the runners from Maryland performed brilliantly and adapted to the conditions. Below is a summary of the race results for the runners from Maryland.

48 Hour Event
  Serge Arbona              150 miles         Parkville, Maryland

  Christian Creutzer        117 miles         Parkville, Maryland
  Tom Nasuta                 102 miles         Parkville, Maryland
  Rich Moran                  100 miles         Annapolis, Maryland
  Tammie Massie             80 miles         Gaithersburg, Maryland
  Hugh Wilson                  78 miles         Reisterstown, Maryland
  Harry Good                    76 miles         Reisterstown, Maryland
  Betty Smith                    57 miles         Rockville, Maryland

24 Hour Event

  Lisa Gesualdo              103 miles         Bel Air, Maryland
  David Ploskonka            57 miles         Baltimore, Maryland


For more information on this event check the organizers website:
https://sites.google.com/site/njtrailseries/fair

The 2014 Umstead 100 Miler

An Umstead Race Report By Tom Nasuta

The Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run was the second race on the schedule for members of the Maryland Adventure Trail Run Team (MATR). This race is held at Umstead State Park in Raleigh, North Carolina in early April. The race is organized by the North Carolina Ultra Running Association and the race director for this event is Mr. Blake Norwood. Over the past 20 years, Blake Norwood has guided this race and mentored many volunteers and runners in endurance running. His attention to detail has resulted in this race becoming one of the most popular 100 mile races in the United States. In fact, when race registration opens, the event is full in less than 1 minute!

In 2010 I had registered for the Umstead 100 miler and was forced to withdraw due an injury. As a result this race had been on my bucket list for some time. The Umstead 100 Miler is sometimes referred to as an “easy 100 miler”. I can’t believe people combine easy and 100 in the same sentence. I have successfully completed 100 miles in a race before, but I was not underestimating how difficult this event would be.

The Course

This race is held on a 12.5 mile groomed trail similar to the Northern Central Rail Trail in northern Baltimore County where we train several times a year. Runners complete this loop 8 times on their way to 100 miles.

While this type of course might be considered easy compared to hilly technical trails, it is challenging. The Umstead hills are deceptive and as the race develops, runners need to be prepared to keep going when very tired. Runners are allowed 30 hours to complete this course and if you are not able to complete the entire 100 miles, you do receive credit for 50 miles if you at least complete this distance.

Preparation

I actually started preparation for Umstead in September of 2013. The MATR Team meets every weekend at 5:00am to run trails in the Baltimore Area. I followed a 26 week 100 mile training plan publicly available on a website from a trail ultra-running group in Southern California (http://www.trailrunevents.com/ul/schedule-100m.asp). I also read numerous articles in Ultrarunner Magazine regarding race strategy, pacing, nutrition, shoes, etc. Most importantly I trained with fellow team members and spent many hours on the roads and trails. My weekly mileage averaged 40-50 miles a week and I was able to reach 70 miles in training twice.

During our weekend training runs, I bounced many ideas off of my training partners.  Hugh Wilson, Casey Fisher and Harry Good and are the most consistent members of our team. Harry and Hugh have previous experience with Umstead so I listened attentively to their suggestions about pacing, changes to expect in weather conditions, need for food during the event and what to anticipate. We log many miles together practicing the classic long slow distance on trails. Casey is much younger and very fast. There are times when we run together that I struggle to keep pace with him as he glides up the hills. The variety in abilities of my training partners keeps these long miles fresh and interesting.

At other times I trained with runners in the Baltimore Road Runners Club. Over the past year the club created a Middle Distance Training Group where runners prepare for 5K, 10k and half marathons. We log miles together at Loch Raven Reservoir and run speed work on the track at Goucher College. Their stories are exhilarating and proved to be critical in this race.

The Plan

My plan was to try and set a goal of finishing this race under 30 hours. My previous time completing 100 miles in a race was 31:23:35 at the Oil Creek 100 miler in 2011 and this wasn’t easy. I decided to break the event down into 8 parts and planned to have a theme for each loop in my head. After each loop I would check-in with the officials as required, change clothing if necessary, eat, drink, check my time, and start again with fresh thoughts to focus on.

The race results from previous Umstead races was quite useful. I looked at the times that it took other runners that were successful at Umstead to complete the distance under 30 hours. Those that were successful paced themselves smartly for the first half of the race. I could see how runners gradually slowed as the race progressed and anticipated this.

Two weeks prior to Umstead I had participated in the HAT Run, a local 50K race here in Maryland, as my last long run going into Umstead. During this event I went out too fast and struggled in the unexpected warm temperatures. Little did I know how valuable this experience would be as the Umstead race progressed.

Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the topics that our training group has discussed and experimented with a great deal over the past year. Fuel during a 100 mile race is critical. The food items at many ultramarathons typically include cookies, pretzels, candy, sports drinks and water. Umstead is known for the excellent assortment of food choices at the aid stations so I did not anticipate a problem here. In preparation for this run, Hugh Wilson refined his nutrition bar recipes and brought several versions of his high quality fuel products. These bars worked well in training and previous races. My hope was to use these nutrition bars for fuel during the race rather than rely on snack foods.

What Happened

Loop 1. The theme for this loop was to start conservatively and observe every turn, water stop on the course. “Don’t go out too fast!” Coach Harry’s voice was in the back of my head this entire loop. In fact I started in the very back of the 286 runners participating in the race. It was still dark at 6:00am so most of the runners were dressed for the cool temperatures and we carried flashlights or headlamps to guide our way. My target was to complete this loop under 3 hours. I easily completed this loop in 2 hours and 35 minutes. Faster than I planned, but it was easy. I was averaging 13 minutes a mile which was well within my ability. Enthusiasm was very high among all of the runners and it carried me along.

Baltimore runners Pete Mulligan, Catherine Cohen, Serge Arbona and Christian Creutzer were also competing in the race and they all looked comfortable as well as I caught glimpses of them during the race. Glen Davis, Amy Cook, Vanessa Kuhn, Joel Richmond, Hugh Wilson and Sue Nasuta were also here supporting the runners in various capacities as crew, volunteers or pacers later in the race. So far so good!

Loop 2. “Remember, this is a long race and you want to finish the entire thing”, I kept telling myself. Stay relaxed, don’t go too fast, and think about what is happening back home. The theme for this loop was the Brigance Brigade 5.7 K Run. Some of my friends in the Middle Distance Training Group at home were participating in this race to raise funds to support families dealing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). I thought about these runners nervously arriving at the beginning of their race and successfully completing the distance. How lucky we are to be able to work together as a team and prepare for these races. I thought about many of the conversations we have had during the Saturday Long Runs and realized we have much in common no matter what race distance we are preparing for.

This loop came easily as well. I had hoped to finish under 3 hours again and completed this loop in 2 hours and 43 minutes. At every opportunity I was eating Hugh’s nutrition bars, drinking water, and at the aid stations I was eating grapes, bananas, and other good food items. 25 miles completed and I am still floating through this race.

Loop 3. Things were starting to get interesting now as the temperatures started to rise. Instead of dwelling on the heat, I thought about the HAT Run and the experience I have acquired over the years. Umstead was my 26^th race with a distance over 26.2 miles. Some of the runners that had set a faster pace early in the race were now struggling and I could see this in their faces as we passed each other. At the HAT Run 2 weeks ago heat was a factor as well, so I was anticipating it today.

If you can’t train in the heat, you don’t have time to acclimate yourself to it. I knew I was ok and pleased that I had learned from my race two weeks ago to expect the heat. I kept my head covered from the sun and I wore sunglasses. I also completed this 3^rd loop under 3 hours as planned. 37.5 miles were completed and I knew I was one more loop away from 50 miles, a significant milestone for me.

Loop 4. I completed loop 4 and reached 50 miles in 11 hours and 15 minutes. This was my fastest time ever covering 50 miles in a race and part of me was worried about this. I realized I would not be able to maintain this pace for the next 50 miles, and anticipated that I would slow down. Theme for this loop was to stay positive. There was even a sign that playfully reminded all of the runners that “hills are your friends”. During this loop I met several other runners from Michigan and California. We shared some stories and worked together toward our common goal.

I know that some runners run courageously and use expressions like “No Risk, No Reward” or “Go as fast as you can for as long as you can”. My mantra was, “Just do what you do in training. I feel good so far and I want to just keep going. Stay under the cutoff times. I just want to finish this thing”.

In Scott Jurek’s book Eat and Run, he discusses the importance of nutrition and also mentions a mantra in his mind. “Sometimes you just do things” and “This is what you came for”. I was very pleased that I was comfortably ahead of the cutoff times and I was having fun. I really believe the new approach to food in training and during the race is helping me to be more successful.

Halfway Through – So far so good

After completing 50 miles I was pleased that the plan was working. I was running faster than originally planned, and I was pleased that the winter training and nutrition bars were paying off. I did notice that the temperatures were getting much warmer so I started to walk more. Things were about to change.

Loop5. At this point the temperatures were expected to get cooler as the sun went down so I took the time to change socks, added a jacket and long running pants, and stated again. I knew I would get credit for 50 miles if I stopped now, but this wasn’t the plan. Even though I was getting very tired, this is where my thoughts really drifted to my friends in the training group.

Sometimes the simplest things at the right moment are the perfect solution. I recalled that Deneen Keaton mentioned that she drinks green tea during her runs –I remembered that I had brought tea with me and this worked for a while! I tried to eat a few gels that were at the aid station, but did not find them very appealing. Then my thoughts drifted to conversations that I had with Tammy Edwards, Heather Radebaugh and Lauren Hoffen. I remembered that we discussed honey rather than gels and this worked like magic. I also recalled conversations that we had about various desserts that we liked and before I knew it I had finished another loop! Training partners are like angels. This wasn’t the original theme I had planned, but it worked like magic.

Loop 6. The theme for this next loop was the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington DC.My training partner Hugh Wilson had planned to join me at this point of the race and we both volunteer as coaches back in Baltimore. Members of the training group would be starting their race soon and we discussed the progress that so many of our new friends had made over the past few months. Hugh had been recovering from knee surgery in December but was back to walking so I agreed to his offer to be my pacer for a lap or two. I was mostly walking at this point, so I was pleased to have the company and glad that he would not injure himself more by helping me.

Even though we have logged many miles together over the past year, we very seldom lack for things to talk about. In addition to the training group, we talked about metal detecting, books we had read recently, events in the news and bacon. As this loop progressed, I was becoming very sleepy and having the company was an incredible boost. Occassionally I closed my eyes and followed my pacer's voice. When I heard him say "You are drifting off the course Tom." I decided it was time to pay more attention. There was coffee at one of the aid stations that was very helpful.

Loop7 and Loop 8. “Luck starts at 5:00am”. I had read this sentence in another ultrarunners blog and adopted it for myself over the past month. Everytime someone wished me luck as I was preparing for this race, I thanked them, but privately said to myself - “Luck starts at 5:00am” Over the past year the MATR Team met at 5:00am to become accustom to running in the dark and running when tired. This was critical to completing these last two loops. I knew I was well ahead of the pace that I had set for myself, but very conscious that I needed to keep moving forward or this cushion I had built would quickly slip away. My pacer stayed with me and when possible we continued to run the downhill parts of the course. But mostly we walked the last several miles to the finish.

Conclusion
My 1^st attempt at the Umstead 100 Miler was a success. I finished 100 miles in 26 hours and 47 minutes. This was an improvement of over 4.5 hours over my previous time at this distance. I had a plan going into the race that was probably too conservative, but it boosted my confidence throughout the race not having to worry about missing the cutoff times.

The training plan that I used to prepare for this race was perfect. Each week we gradually increased our mileage and the slow long-distance trail running over the winter was perfect preparation for this early Spring race. I managed the warm temperatures well this time and I was able to make adjustments that resulted in a successful finish.

If I have anything to share, here are three recommendations for others to learn from my experience.

Work with a Training Group – It is very hard to stay motivated over 16, 20 or 26 weeks to prepare for a long distance running event like an ultramarathon. The Baltimore running community is very generous with their time and ideas supporting one another. I was lucky to have my training partners from Maryland Adventure Trail Run, the NCR Trail Snails and the BRRC Middle Distance Training Group to run with. My crew and pacer knew what I needed in advance and took very good care of me.

Break large distances into small manageable parts – By breaking 100 miles into 8 parts, I was able to focus on a different subject in each loop. I looked forward to each theme and as a result it was like enjoying a different collection of ideas, memories or conversations throughout the event. Changes in weather conditions were expected and it became something to look forward to.

Enjoy the success of the runners around you – Seeing the other Baltimorerunners throughout the race and their spirit of encouragment to one another was very positive. I was very proud of the runners, crews, pacers and volunteers from Baltimore.

100 Miler Finishers

                 Serge Arbona        18:46:31       2 of 36 in Age Group      20 Overall
                 Pete Mulligan        24:38:32    28 of 36 in Age Group      84 Overall
                 Catherine Cohen    26:27:18    13 of 17 in Age Group      98 Overall
                 Tom Nasuta           26:46:59    17 of 30 in Age Group    102 Overall

50 Mile Finishers

                 Christian Creutzer   8:51:10      1 of 16 in Age Group        4 Overall

I was very pleased with my overall performance. The experience at the 2014 HAT Run in March and the Umstead 100 Miler in May will be beneficial in the next race on the schedule. The next challenge for the MATR Team is a 48 hour race taking place in New Jersey in May called 3 Days at the Fair.

The 2014 Hinte-Anderson Trail Ultramarathon

A HAT Run Race Report by Tom Nasuta

The HAT Run is held at Susquehanna State Park in Maryland every March.  The race is organized by the local running club RASAC in Harford County, Maryland and this is one of my favorite races of the year.  The inspiration for this race is Jeff Hinte and Phil Anderson the original race organizers.  Tim Gavin is currently the race director for the event, but Jeff and Phil continue to be very active throughout the event ensuring that every detail is addressed. 

Ultrarunner Magazine has identified the HAT Run as one of the largest 50K races in the United States.  2014 was the 26^th anniversary of this event that has grown from 17 finishers in 1989 to 363 finishers in 2013.  The field has expanded to accommodate 500 runners and race registration closes within a day.  A “wait list” is maintained just in case  registered runners withdraw and space becomes available.

The 2014 HAT Run was to be my 7^th time participating in this race. The course is mostly single track trails with some portions on fields and paved road.  In March the weather can be very unpredictable and this year was proving to be no different. Just 1 week prior to the race the area was covered in snow and temperatures had been in the low 20’s. 

Background

I have had mixed results with the HAT Run in the past. As I have gotten older my times have gotten slower, but I hold out hope that one day I will be able to set a new personal record on this course for 31 miles. 

My plan was to try and set a goal of finishing the race close to 6 hours. This is a time that I ran in 2004 in muddy conditions. I have always thought I might be able to match this time if the conditions were perfect. This would require maintaining a pace of 12 minutes per mile.

My backup plan was to exceed the time that the UltraSignUp website had predicted for me which was over an hour slower.  This was a powerful motivator in my training over the past few months.  During our weekend runs, my training partners Casey Fisher and Hugh Wilson discussed how organizations try to predict finishing times using times from similar races.  In ultramarathons this becomes complicated since races are held on various surfaces, hilly or flat courses, and warm or cold weather.  Our plan was to train hard and do what we could to prove the race prediction gurus wrong.  In preparation for this year’s HAT Run we did hill repeats, speed work on the track, races at shorter distances and trained on snowy trails throughout January and February.

Not finishing an ultramarathon is always another possibility.  Ultrarunners are always one step away from twisting an ankle or falling during a trail run.  Most of the time this is a minor issue, but experience in training is the best way to avoid these problems so we continued to train on trails whenever possible.  Getting sick during the run from heat or poor food choices is also common in this sport.  It is especially disappointing to be slow,  miss a cut-off time and be asked to stop running.

In 2013, 500 runners pre-registered for the HAT Run, 422 runners started the race and 363 finished.  Realizing that over 25% of the runners may not finish the race, I studied the cutoff times and wanted to be sure that I wasn’t running so slow that I would be asked to stop.  DNF means Did Not Finish. It is not something any runner wants to experience.

The Plan

So my plan was to run at a pace where I could try to run a new personal record, but not run so recklessly that I went out too fast and crashed.  I would run carefully so that I didn’t trip and fall, eat food that I was comfortable with and try not to waste time at the aid stations.  Since it has been very cold in training, I didn’t anticipate a problem with heat and dressed accordingly.

What Happened

The course covers a short 3.6 mile loop in the beginning of the race that spreads the runners out before they hit the single track trails. The temperatures were cool at the start, but most of us felt that this was perfect. It was one of the few times that we were able to run without many layers of clothing over the past few months. In fact many of the runners wore running shorts and we were able to drop any jackets or extra clothing after this 3.6 mile warm-up.

                                 

The next phase of the race is a long loop of 13.7 miles which runners complete twice. As I came through the pavilion where the runners are able to leave their drop bags, I was able to remove my gloves and vest, grab my water bottle and food items that I planned to use.  I was already beginning to get warm, but I was feeling fantastic.  I was running at a pace that was a full minute faster that I had planned.  I was enjoying the company of so many of my friends that were either running, watching, and supporting the runners as spectators and volunteers.  My training partners Casey Fisher      
and Josh Greenberg were also running confidently. 

The trail conditions were perfect.  The snow from the previous week had melted and there was very little mud on the course.  These are considered technical trails with many rocks and roots to navigate. It is a hilly course, but this is what we train on each week so I was feeling very confident.

Nutrition is one of the topics that our training group has discussed and experimented with a great deal over the past year.  The food items at many ultramarathons typically include cookies, pretzels, candy, sports drinks and water.   In preparation for this run, Hugh Wilson prepared several nutrition bars that were made from higher quality ingredients. These bars worked well in training and my hope was to use these nutrition bars for fuel rather than the snack foods.

Halfway Through – So far so good

After completing 17.3 miles I was pleased that the plan was working. I was running faster than originally planned, and I was pleased that the winter training and nutrition bars were paying off.  I did notice that the temperatures were getting much warmer so I started to walk more on the up hill portions of the course.  

As the day progressed, the warm temperatures took their toll and the final 13.7 mile loop of the course was not pretty.  As the afternoon wore on I realized that the fast pace early in the race was not a good idea.  But these are the moments where you learn the most about why we participate in this sport and how to adjust.  I was not in danger or distress, I was just starting to get very hot so I adjusted my pace.  I started to notice other runners catching up to me, but I was well ahead of the cutoff times and decided to enjoy the remainder of the race and make the most of it. 

In a few cases where I caught up to other runners that were also struggling to finish, we worked together to complete a few more miles.  Even though the heat was taking a toll on many, no one was in medical distress.  We were just experiencing weather conditions that we had not had an opportunity to train with. 

Conclusion

My 7^th running of the HAT Run was a success.  I improved my times completed in 2011 and 2012  by over 18 minutes.  I had a plan going into the race that, in hindsight,  may have been a bit ambitious.   The long distance trail running in January and February was perfect preparation for this early Spring race. I just hadn’t anticipated the warm temperatures. I made adjustments that resulted in a successful finish.  The nutrition bars were excellent.  My friends and training partners in the race experienced the same difficulty, but all of us completed the race successfully.   If I have anything to share, here are three recommendations for others to learn from my experience.

• Be flexible – Things may not go as planned, but don’t dwell on it. Quickly assess what you need to do to finish the race.  Adjust your pace, re-fuel, change clothing, etc.  Most importantly adjust your attitude.   Everyone is straining in the later stages of a long race.  This is where the more experienced runners have the skills to not give up.
• Recognize the moments – There are times in a long race where seeing a friend or family member on the course can be extremely powerful.  Some of those volunteers are runners that wanted to be running also, but were forced to withdraw due to an injury.  Encouraging a fellow runner on the course that is struggling can also help.
• Follow the Plan – I was so excited to finally be running the race and sharing the experience with my faster running friends.  Although I had a plan, I didn’t pay attention to it as I should have.  I should have started out more conservatively and paid closer attention to the strategy I had laid out. 

I was very pleased with my overall performance and the experience here at the 2014 HAT Run will help me in my next challenge – the Umstead 100 Miler in North Carolina in early April.

 

 

 

Fixing a Broken Runner – Part Two Physical Therapy

By Hugh Wilson

Morgan Johnson DPT and owner of Evolution Sports Physiotherapy is the physiotherapist I selected based on his legendary success working with runners in the mid-Atlantic region.

Day 1 of physical therapy started with an evaluation of where I was physically, mentally, my goals, expectations and the level of effort I would put forward to achieve the desired outcome.

For the first time in 5 weeks the brace comes off, heat is applied for about 10 minutes after which Morgan starts to examine the knee by massaging to determine a number of factors that will influence the course of physiotherapy. While working on the knee Morgan talks about the muscle and tendon tightness he is feeling and some amount of deep scar tissue that will need to be broken up if I am to regain full flexibility.  Morgan knew the starting point after a few minutes – he starts some dialogue to determine my expectations .

 “When’s your first race?” he asks

 I respond “in 3 months and 1 week”,  I neglected to tell Morgan that Dr Lanzo said it would be advisable to cancel all races for this year.  Why mention that? Possibly Morgan can get me in shape in the time left before the race…

“How long is it and how do you expect to finish?”

I say, “100 miles and I would like to shoot for a sub 24 hour finish”

Morgan could see I was in need of a major dose of realism – which I often find to be very elusive. Rather than dousing my somewhat exuberant expectations with warnings of why I could not possibly meet those goals, Morgan let me arrive at that conclusion on my own with a little help from a stationary bike.

“Give me 10 minutes on the bike, no resistance and see if you can do a mile”

With an air of confidence I blurt out,  “I’ll do 4” as Morgan walked to the other side of the room. Biking is easy-schmese right?  Wrong-o-buck-o!  With a huge amount of effort, I barely moved the pedal ¼ of a revolution…

What the heck is going on??? The tendon was reattached to the patella (knee cap) so why didn’t the leg/knee do a simple task like peddle a bike. Morgan explained strengthening the knee is one part, the other is to retrain the knee how to do things it once found simple.  I had no idea 5 weeks of immobility would have such an effect.

I think it was that very moment, sitting on the stationary bike and not being able to pedal a single revolution, that the reality of not running for some time finally set in.

So this was the hand I was dealt – not a very good one for sure. The last thing I would do at this point would be to fold and leave the game. Quitting running never crossed my mind – what did saturate the brain was what I needed to do to get back on track as fast as possible without causing further issues.

A brief pause here – and I promise not to drone on about each PT session – but I would like to point out the reason for the detail about the first PT session.  When I am told I can’t do something I am the type person who will go out and do that something to prove them wrong, even to my own detriment.  Morgan deals with those types daily, he never said I can’t , instead he gave me the opportunity to come to the realization on my own that returning to my previous level of conditioning will take some time. How much time depends on the level effort I put into the physiotherapy exercises while tempering that effort so I make great progress but I don’t cross that division where I start to introduce new issues or re-open the knee issue I’m trying to resolve.

Of the many things I don’t understand is why some people go to their PT sessions, and not do the exercises that they learn at the therapist's office, at home. If you visit a financial advisor, you carry the information they provide into your daily life; then why not do the same with your physiotherapist.   When Morgan shows you an exercise, he will give you detail on how this exercise will help with your issue, how it fits into the overall plan and how many repeats are done with each limb, how many sets of those repeats you need to do and how many times a day you need to do those sets.  The amount of what you get out of something depends on the amount of what you willing to put in.

In future writings I will share some of these exercises that benefit running. The last thing I would like to share in this second part is quite new to me, but very old to the world – cupping.  Cupping dates back to ancient China where it was used to fix a number of issues. The medical person – or maybe they were referred to as a cupper - would put a little paper treated with some fast burning chemical into the cup, light the paper then quickly attach the cup to the skin. The oxygen in the cup burns up creating a vacuum pulling the skin and anything just below the skin into the cup. The cup is usually left on for 10 or 12 minutes.

The  photos below are from one of my PT sessions where we did cupping.

In the 1600’s cupping was widely used throughout Europe. At that time they heated their cups in a hearth and rather than leaving a little burn mark like the Chinese method, they created a burn circle on the patient's skin!

Today the cups have a nozzle on the end where a vacuum pump is attached to create the vacuum inside the cup.     The vacuum in the cup pulls the skin, muscles and tendons 1 to 2 inches into the cup.   This stretches the muscles, removes knots and assists in breaking up scar tissue.

We even tried it on a tight IT band and
after 10 minutes the IT band was relaxed.

My first thought when doing this was that I could be a space creature on Doctor Who or possibly use the cupping as a unique Halloween costume! 

The question most have is Does this hurt?  I did not find any pain although it was an odd feeling.

In this second part of my article, Fixing a Broken Runner, my aim is to say we all get dealt a bad hand from time to time – it’s how we play the hand we are dealt that matters.  I have tried to maintain a positive attitude and keep an open mind.  Physical therapy is going well and I have even received the OK to resume walking and running.

http://www.evolutionsportspt.com/

http://www.evolutionsportspt.com/team-evolution-morgan-johnson-dpt-comt-cscs/

https://www.google.com/#q=evolution+sports+maryland

 

 

 

 

Fixing a Broken Runner - Part One

by Hugh Wilson

The “Road to the Eastern States 100” – that was to be the title for a series of articles describing one runner's efforts to prepare for the inaugural Eastern States 100 mile ultra-marathon. With a 36 hour cutoff time and multiple 900 – 1200 foot climbs through what is known as the Grand Canyon of the East, this race is slated to be one of the most grueling races East of the Mississippi. The race is scheduled for August 2013 and has a cumulative total elevation change of over 20,000 feet.

So why change the topic and title?  The information is quite timely with just 6 months left until race day. Funny you should ask! Well – In short, I am now that broken runner.

What I am now learning is that there are three steps to regain your previous fitness level:

1.      Recognize and accept you are broken

2.      Get help correcting the problem

3.      Re-Start your training at a reasonable level

Nothing you have done on the road to becoming a competitive runner has been easy – neither will this.

My story illustrates many of the good and bad choices runners often make. I try to learn something from every training run, every race and other runners. I have learned a great many things from a recent injury and only time will tell how well I can implement those lessons in the future.

I think we all agree that in general, runners are a hardheaded stubborn lot – it’s in our nature! If we didn’t possess the character of independence, self-determination, self-reliance, self-assuredness we would not be runners. We push through aches and pains and often take pride in first blood of the run or race. When we fall we get up, if it hurts you shake it out and continue. Short of a bone sticking out of our leg, we choose to continue. The inherent nature of the runner makes recognizing something is definitely wrong very difficult.

Sunday November 10^th 2013 was like any other Sunday of the previous three or so years. The MATR (Maryland Adventure Trail Runners) running group met up at Oregon Ridge Park just a little before 5am, rain was steady – Tom Nasuta and Casey Fisher were already there. The first words I hear are “great weather to train in” followed by “we have the park to ourselves”. We train in all conditions because races take place in all conditions; we start at 5am because many of the races we participate in also start at 5am. We leave the parking lot and head for the rain sodden trails, which proved to be fairly muddy and slippery enough to give us a good core workout staying upright. Casey had left early that day and Tom and I decided to do just one more loop as it was getting close to noon. We managed to keep a fair pace mimicking the rain that was proving to be as stubborn in showing any signs of slowing until the trail turned into grass and the parking lot came into view, we decided to walk it in and discuss the run we just completed.

It is funny and curious thing that when you do something simple which requires little if any effort in thinking, like walking, is when accidents happen. I managed to step into a particularity deep spot of mud sending my left leg out to the side leaving the right to collapse into a Russian squat before toppling over and ending up on my side.

I heard no snap’s or crack’s or pop’s and I would describe the sensation in my right knee a one of great discomfort but not as pain. Tom checked the knee before helping me to my feet. I thought a cold pack and then some light stretching would shake things out. Things didn’t shake out that evening so I decided to take a break from running over the next few days since I wanted to be well rested for the Stone Mill 50 miler taking place the following Saturday. Stone Mill was to be my qualifier for Eastern States so it was an important race for me.

The days that followed saw no change in the knee, the only relief I could find was to keep the leg straight and propped up.

At 3:30am Saturday November 16^th I met up with Tom and Casey to drive to the Stone Mill 50. I took the back seat where I could keep the leg straight and I neglected to say much about it on the drive. Having a persistent dull tooth ache like feeling in the knee all week made me think it may be more than just a minor strain or twist and I decided I would get it checked out after the race. [note: the decision to check out the issue after the race was a definite mistake]

The Stone Mill race started with a loop around the school then out on a dog leg to disperse the runners. Tom and I planned on running together as far as possible – we tend to keep each other in check at the beginning of our races and not let the adrenalin or race excitement push us out faster than our plan calls for. I found the race more difficult than I expected which was odd as we have trained on similar trail – maybe it was the knee that was making the run more of an effort than it should be. Somewhere around mile 14 I told Tom I will slow my pace and that he should continue on. I think I clipped out something funny like “I’ll catch you on the downhill”. After mile 20 I started getting light headed and stumbling a bit – it was difficult to get the right leg to push off or land from a jump. At mile 24 I was hoping just to make it to the next check point when I saw Darryn Waugh a good friend and fellow runner. Darryn had come to see several of the Baltimore area runners competing in the race. He knew at first glance I was in distress and offered to pick me up – so I made it to the aid station at mile 25 where I dropped from the race. We drove from aid station to aid station to see how the runners were doing; lucky for me I was able to keep the leg straight in Darryn’s car. By the time we got to the start/finish line it was dark and the slight breeze kept me cold – which helped me deal with the leg issues.

It was a good feeling watching Casey cross the finish line in 9:25:28. Judging by the pace that Tom was running we estimated that we had time to get in the warmth of the school for food and a cup or two of tea. I always feel better after a hot tea! Tom rolled across the finish line in 11:50:43.  In finishing the 50 miler, both Casey and Tom qualified for the Eastern States 100 that we had been preparing for.
 

Recognize and accept you are broken
There was definitely something not right with the knee and I needed it fixed soon. The next day I contacted my doctor and a knee specialist and arranged for an MRI.  Continuing to run on a knee like mine was not an option.

Get help correcting the problem
Doctor Lanzo came highly recommended – I had heard he is one of the top knee surgeons in the area and he has dealt with numerous sports related injuries. He had my MRI in hand when I met him, his first question was “Are you having any pain?” I answered - no pain and that it was more like a tooth ache annoyance in my knee. He responded “I understand you are an ultra-runner” and I said yes. To my surprise he said that’s why I don’t feel any pain, ultra-runners usually have a high tolerance to pain. What I had was an 80 percent tear of the quadriceps tendon, I should not be standing, I definitely should not have run a race on that knee and what I should have done is had surgery a week ago.

I’ve had similar issues in the past, how could this sore knee be something so major? With hindsight, I can honestly say that I have never had soreness last more than a few days. It is that recognition which is important and it should have kept me from attempting Stone Mill. What did I say about runners?  They are often stubborn, I should have included (at least in my case) in denial about how serious the injury was.

I had the surgery and for the following 4 to 5 weeks, the leg would be in a brace set to zero percent flexibility. To go from running back to back long runs of 5+ hours every Saturday and Sunday with a number of hours in between, and yoga alternating with P90x, to no exercise at all makes for a very unhappy runner. This was also over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays so food was in abundance – another issue the immobile have to deal with is weight gain!

We all get grumpy when we haven’t run for a week – try 5 times that! I could for see myself turning into a major grump and decided no matter how down I get I will remain positive and not utter one negative word. My mantra was “keep your thoughts positive”! I knew this is as temporary as the side and chest pains you get from running hills – it will be over soon. I continued the routine getting up early on the weekends, I would sit there with a cup of hot chocolate and one of tea along with a stack of pancakes slathered in butter and syrup and look out the window at the dark sky which was sometimes filled with rain, sleet or snow. I knew the MATR group would start the run at 5am; I am aware of  how miserable it is to be in the dark with a cold wet wind in your face, but if given the chance, I would have happily traded the hot chocolate and pancakes to be out there with them.
 

Re-Start your training at a reasonable level

Time passes and I made it through the 5 weeks remaining positive throughout.  The quadriceps tendon should have reattached to the patella and healing has been going well.  I am now at the stage of beginning physical therapy and getting the leg to work again! 

Look for an update of my experience with physical therapy in Part 2 of this report. This article is being published in next month’s issue of My Training Group Newsletter.