Birthday Run - Final Details

Thank you to everyone who has offered words of encouragement (along with expressions of disbelief) and to those of you who will join me on my 45 mile Birthday Run. Here are the final details of the run for this coming Friday/Saturday, July 10-11, 2009.


General Information
Through the generosity of those participating, we will have coolers with water and/or Gatorade on each route.

• Please bring your initial fluids and any nutrition needed for your segment.The average pace will be 12 min/mile with a run/walk pattern of 5 minutes on, 1 minute walk.
• The start and finish times are my best estimate, but please be flexible.
• Twitter updates will be posted throughout the run (www.twitter.com/ironbirdlegs)

Warm Up Run

• Start Time: 10 PM
• Distance: 10 miles
• Finish Time: 12 AM
• Additional Info: Run will consist of two 5 mile loops with a stop at the house in between.

Transition Run 1

• Start Time: 12:15 AM
• Distance: 4.5 miles
• Finish Time: 1:10 AM
• Total Miles: 14.5 miles
• Additional Info: Point-to-point run to get to the next meeting place.

Almost to Marathon Run

• Start Time: 1:25 AM
• Distance: 10 miles
• Finish Time: 3:25 AM
• Total Miles: 24.5 miles
• Additional Info: Run will be one large loop within neighborhood and finish back at the start. There will be a cooler with water and Gatorade at the start/finish and a cooler within the neighborhood.

Transition Run 2

• Start Time: 3:45 AM
• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Finish Time: 4:25 AM
• Total Miles: 28 miles
• Additional Info: Point-to-point run through a neighborhood, across a major boulevard and down a narrow, dark street. Officially longest run ever at this point

Before Hours Park Run

• Start Time: 4:30 AM
• Distance: 8 miles
• Finish Time: 6:10 AM
• Total Miles: 36 miles
• Additional Info: Nice, soft packed dirt trail for most of this loop in the park, slightly ahead of their opening hours.

Big Finish Run

• Start Time: 6:30 AM
• Distance: 9 miles
• Finish Time: 8:30 AM
• Total Miles: 45 miles
• Additional Info: Run the minimum number of miles required to get to 45, taking into account any accumulation of errors to this point.

Pictures and additional impressions will be posted after the run. Happy Birthday to me!

Birthday Run - Training and Nutrition

I'm relieved that the Birthday Run is less than a week away. It takes a little pressure off knowing there is nothing more I can do now to build endurance for my first 45 mile run, but at the same time, it allows for little bits of self-doubt to creep in. I've put in a number of key training sessions that should help me in the long run. I've summarized the approach below.

Training Summary

• Fairly consistent 8-12 mile long runs each Saturday since March
• Consistent 8-13 mile tempo run each week in June in addition to long runs
• Long runs on weekend and multiple back-to-back long runs
• Multiple night running sessions
• Average mileage for last 5 weeks, 38-54
• No injuries

Back-to-Back Weekend Runs and Misc Long Runs

• May 22 - 17 mile run on Saturday
• May 23 - 18 mile run on Sunday
• June 13 - 19 mile run on Saturday
• June 14 - 6 mile run on Sunday
• June 20 - 19 mile run on Saturday

Simulation Run

• June 26 - 12 mile run on Friday am
• June 27 - 3am start - 25 mile run on Saturday

The simulation run was great and slightly unplanned. I ran 12 miles on Friday morning and then we had guests over to BBQ and I didn't get to sleep until after midnight. The alarm went off at 2:15am for a 3am start of the 25 mile training run with a friend who is training for the San Francisco marathon. I came into the Saturday run fatigued from the 12 miles and without much sleep from the late BBQ night and I survived. This is a good sign.

Nutrition Approach

After reading and experimenting in training, I've arrived at my nutrition plan for the Birthday Run. I'll primarily be using Hammer's Perpetuem to provide calories (carbs, protein and fat) along with some Hammer Gel for variety. I'll also be using Endurolytes for electrolyte replacement along with plenty of water. I decided to move away from carrying Gatorade to avoid mixing carbs and electrolytes with the other fuels and instead separate out the fuel, hydration and electrolytes. I used this approach on the simulation run and everything worked as I hoped, though I realized I need to take in a few more calories as I was pretty hungry at the end of the run. I'll have steel-cut oatmeal about 2.5 hours before the start and a Chocolate Balance Bar about 45 minutes before along with sips of Gatorade leading up to the start.

During the run, I'll aim for 16-24 oz of water each hour, depending on heat and humidity and take 2 Endurolytes per hour as well. The Perpetuem will be mixed to pancake-batter consistency and I'll swig this from my Fuel-belt bottle every 45 minutes or so and wash it down with water to get the calories I need. Hammer Gel will be used as well to vary the flavor and texture in addition to Fig Newtons and chicken broth at the rest stops for variety.

I'm feeling pretty good about the plan, but know I need to be flexible and prepared. Five days and counting...

Triku - Triathlon Poetry

Triku-The traditional Japanese poetry form with a triathlon focus.

BodyGlide, my friend
Say "Goodbye" to rash and chafe
Ouch, I missed a spot

A warm shower after a long run reveals where I missed with BodyGlide. I'm thinking a full body dip is necessary for the Birthday Run.

Birthday Run Details

Friends & Runners - As some of you already know, I've been planning and training for a "Birthday Run" to celebrate my 45 years of life by running 45 miles. I'm hoping some of you will be available and crazy enough to join me on my adventure, so I've included the details below.

I could use some company (running or on bike) on any of the segments, so take a look at the times and distances and see what works for you. I could also use some volunteers to host coolers along the route.

When: Friday, July 10, starting at 10pm and finishing Saturday July 11 in the morning.
Route Summary:
10pm-12am, 10 miles, Villa Rosa neighborhood area
1:25am-3:30am, 10 miles, Cheval run - meet at Center Yourself Pilates
4:30am-6:10am, 8 miles, Lake Park - meet in Northdale TBD location
6:30am-8:30am, 9 miles, Northdale - start and finish at Bob Sierra YMCA

The missing miles in the list above are found in transition runs from one location to another. I'll send out a more detailed route plan for anyone who is interested. Please email me back if you'd like to assist in any way and thanks for sharing in my adventure.

Date set for "Birthday Run"

July 10 - 11, 2009 has been selected for the 45 mile "birthday run". A few factors were considered:

• Provide enough training time before the date (could have been more, but it's not getting any cooler)
• In the month of my birthday...check
• Nearly full moon...check
• Since most of the actual run will take place overnight, this seemed like a good idea

More to come on the training runs, nutrition strategy and equipment I'm thinking of using.

This is one way to stay off the couch.

Next Endurance Challenge - The Birthday Run

It's official, I'm nuts. Or so this is what some of my friends have said when I told them that I was going to run my age (in miles) for my birthday...

...in July

...in Florida.

OK, it is a bit crazy, but not unheard of. I think of it as 4, 10 mile runs with a 5 mile cool down. I've started planning and figure it will take about 10+ hours to complete, including breaks and I'll be starting REALLY early in the morning, or really late depending your perspective in order to beat the Florida daytime heat and humidity.

I'm still working out the route and have started to plan my nutrition strategy. How much and what kinds of food can I eat to replace the calories I'll burning without grossing out on gels or hurling? Not sure yet, need to experiment. Smoothie anyone?

The research I've done on training suggests that I'll be doing a bit of running to get ready for this one! The key seems to be back-to-back long runs that progress in length with some shorter faster runs so you don't settle into a snail-like pace.

I think the keys to success will be a good nutrition plan and arriving at the start line healthy.

I'll keep posting details as I work them out, so check back frequently for the next endurance challenge...the Birthday Run.

Weekly Triku - Triathlon Poetry

Triku-The traditional Japanese poetry form with a triathlon focus.

Rode to help MS
SAG trucks circling like vultures
Back, evil SAG, back

Rode in the Mid-Florida Chapter Bike MS event this last weekend, but my son and I had to SAG in the last 5 miles due to the sudden electrical storm. Back, evil SAG, back.

Weekly Triku - Triathlon Poetry

Triku-The traditional Japanese poetry form with a triathlon focus.


Can’t wait to ride hills
Drove twenty miles to start ride
Forgot cycling shoes :-(


The sad face emoticon is not part of the traditional poetry form, but is entirely necessary. It really is less fun riding the hills in running shoes on SpeedPlay lollipops.

Weekly Triku - Triathlon Poetry

Triku-The traditional Japanese poetry form with a triathlon focus.

Big swim before work
Run at lunch, then evening ride
Training is his life

Twittercast at St. Anthony's Triathlon

This year I volunteered to assist with the first-time Twittercast of the famous St. Anthony's Triathlon (http://www.satriathlon.com/) in St. Petersburg, FL. If you are not familiar with Twitter, check http://www.twitter.com/ to learn more, but in summary, Twitter is a micro-blog where people can subscribe to your updates and you to theirs and people post short messages, or Tweets of up to 140 characters from the web or their phones. A Twittercast is a broadcast over Twitter and I can be found at www.twitter.com/ironbirdlegs.

In this case, Athletes for a Cure, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, http://www.athletesforacure.org/ hosted the Twittercast of St. Anthony's Triathlon with the help of a fellow triathlete, blogger and podcaster, Triboomer (http://www.triboomer.com/), aka Brian. You can follow TriBoomer at www.twitter.com/triboomer. My job was to provide real-time updates of the pro race as the men and women battled for prize money in this season-opener race held in late April each year. Scott Zagarino, the Managing Director of sports Marketing for Athletes for a Cure, Greta and I posed for this picture after the race. Please visit the Athletes for a Cure web site for more information about the work they do to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer.

Brian and I agreed to meet at 5:30am on race day. I came prepared with my beat-up, old hybrid bike, water, snacks, mobile phone, a clipboard, pens and paper and course maps all stuffed into a backpack. Just as Brian and I met near the body-marking area near transition, the race director came over the PA and announced that the swim was cancelled for all but the pro race due to dangerously choppy conditions on the water. Brian and I briefly discussed the approach for the spotting and providing updates and I was off to the swim start. The water was rough and the wind was up, but the pros were out warming up and getting ready. I began sending text messages to Brian ahead of the swim start and let him know when the race had begun.

I then jumped on my hybrid and was off to get positioned to cover the bike race. I came to a nice corner of the course where cyclists were both headed out and coming in from a couple mile stretch of road. They had to slow down and that made it easier to read the numbers off their shoulders and bikes. I began feverishly texting race numbers in the sequence that they were rolling by. It was hard to keep up as I was busy writing down the numbers on my clipboard and then texting the results when I had a break between cyclists. Brian and Greta would then translate the race numbers into names and send out updates on the Twittercast. Brian and I tried talking on the phone for updates, but due to the wind, it made it too difficult to hear, so it was back to texting. With enough men and women pros having past, I repositioned on the bike course to about mile 20 can caught the race leader and the chase group and they were powering down the road. I was the only spectator in this area, so I cheered for the riders as I wrote their numbers and transmitted the results back to Brian, who was putting it out on Twitter in nearly real-time.

I notified Brian that I was headed to the run course and I made it to mile 5 and started reporting again. I had covered a lot of ground on my old bike, but I was now seeing the final push to the finish as these athletes dealt with the rising temperature and humidity. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know who was in the lead by name, but just by number. The women's race was very close with the top three all within 50 feet of each other while the male leader had a sizable lead. I kept tapping out race numbers and commentary and Brian kept the 10,000 or so people listening in on Twitter updated.

It was a blast and a cool way to see the entire race and I'm happy I was able to help with the event. TriBoomer/Brian was great. I read over the TwitterCast when I got home and it was really cool to see how he and Greta had translated my cryptic updates in to a broadcast.

If I'm not racing St. Anthony's next year, I'll probably be riding around on my old, green hybrid, race texting results to whoever is listening.