Sage Canaday Interview

Who is Sage Canaday you ask? It's like when Kilian Jornet ran Western States 100 in 2010 and very few people knew who he was. Nobody in ultrarunning these days says, "Who is Kilian?"

So, I think Sage Canaday is in the same genre of elite ultrarunners you just haven't heard very much about YET. Sage comes from road racing...he ran in the Olympic Marathon trials at the ripe old age of 21. He's only been running ultras for the past year and he has yet to finish any lower than 2nd place. Those were big races too...UROC "Ultra Race of Champions", Bandera 100k, and Lake Sonoma 50 mi to name a few. Sage has won most of the races he entered and set course records in many of them. He hasn't yet run a 100 miler but he shared with me off camera that he'd like to debut in 100 mile at Western States or Leadville.

Sage trains here in Boulder. We see him on the trails, cranking up and down some of our most technical trails. Strava made all of us aware Sage was here because it logs best performances on all the routes and compares your times to other athletes on Strava. Sage immediately snagged a host of "course records" on well known Boulder trails like Fern Canyon and Green Mountain. Not everyone uses Strava but I would be quite interesting to see where athletes compare in training efforts if more were logged into the site.

So, this video was shot by my training buddy Ryan Lassen. We recorded the interview in Chautauqua Park at the base of Green Mountain. It's edited for quick viewing. I think you'll enjoy it. 

Run long and prosper...

Jerry

Sage Canaday: Ultrarunner 2.0 from Jerry Armstrong on Vimeo.

Consistency: Finding Balance in Ultrarunning

I've had the unique opportunity to interview many elite athletes in our sport. Each of those interviews had influence on my personal training. Often, learning about their methods confirmed my personal training was appropriate for what I was attempting to accomplish.  All the while, I continued to bury my head in my own training, practicing through trial and error in a determined effort to get the most out of what I had. Through those interviews, a pattern emerged. One word was almost always used by these athletes when I asked them about their training. That word was, "consistency".

I thought I knew what consistency meant. I assumed it meant something like the ability to train regularly without being forced to take breaks for injury or burn out. In fact, I still interpret "consistency" in this manner. Regardlesss, I decided to dig a bit deeper...

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines consistency in this context as, "a harmony of conduct or practice with profession". With "profession" defined as, "a principal calling, vocation or employment. The whole body of persons engaged in a calling."

In consideration of this, I now interpret this idea of consistency to be a harmony of professional practice. I love the word "harmony" because it is synonymous with balance. For me, the effort to balance the physical, mental, and spiritual components of ultrarunning are the key to success and enlightened human potential.

More miles do not always translate to better race performances. Often, the body is asking for rest but we don't listen. More intense training can often cause problems as well. More than the idea of quantity, it is the idea of maintaining that balance between physical adaptation and mental engagement. Balance requires truth talk with your subconscious. It means setting healthy, demanding goals that draw you in with fervor and passion.

We cannot simply show up at ultramarathons and expect to be prepared for the race. We cannot run occasionally or waiver in our commitment to this sport. No, ultrarunning demands consistency. It demands we pour our hearts into the idea of training our physiology and minds to be stronger tomorrow than they are today. The feeling of personal accomplishment is a direct result of your consistency and commitment to be the best you can possibly be. 

The proud smiles observed on the faces of exhausted ultrarunners are products of consistency. That effort, the sacrifice...the self discipline.  Unlike almost everything else in life, you just can't buy this stuff.

Run long and prosper,
Jerry

---

Thank You Garlic! Fighting Infection Naturally

This deep gash was a result of a head-first fall in a muddy descent
down Bear Canyon in Bolder, CO. After medical attention in the ER,
it became increasingly infected and caused issues for more than a week. 

My personal training motto is, “You can’t over-train; you can only under-recover.” I adapted this philosophy after 10 years of participation in endurance sports. My personal emphasis on recovery came after multiple overuse injuries. During races, I experienced debilitating inflammation and stiffness. I was bedridden after events or sidelined from injuries for 3-4 months at time. These problems have since disappeared since adapting a plant-based diet over three years ago. I am continually amazed by the power of plants to heal and support a healthy life.

Trauma Injury

This past week has been challenging. I had a mishap on the trail and things haven’t been going well. Last Saturday, I was running on the trails here in Boulder, Colorado. I had run to the summit of Green Mountain from Chautauqua Park. My route took me up Gregory Canyon and continued along Ranger and Greenman Trail.  The climb is about 2,700’ of gain and varies from extremely technical rocky areas in Gregory Canyon to snowy single track on Greenman Trail. I run these trails most days of the week so I thought it was wise to bring microspikes for the descent. I had a small 20oz UD bottle in one hand and the microspikes in the other.

Upon reaching the summit, I threw on my spikes and headed down toward Bear Canyon, a less technical canyon trail that provides access from either Bear Peak or Green Mountain to the very popular Mesa Trail. I soon found the spikes to be unnecessary and removed them from my NB 110s. I continued down the canyon without any need for spikes. The trails were more a mix of wet snow and mud than anything. Without warning, I hooked my right toe on a rock and went down headfirst. I planted my body weight into my right forearm and slid on my right side in the mud.  Out of habit, I stood up and continued running without any concern.

It took a minute or so for me to consider looking at my arm after the fall. I raised my arm and was surprised to see a deep gaping wound. The cut was about 4” long and 1-2” deep. I was in denial at first, but I came to the realization this was a bit more serious than I wanted to admit. I called my wife, Jen. She’s an emergency nurse and was working at the time. She told me to come in and let her see the cut. I ran about 30 minutes back to my car and headed toward the hospital. 

When I arrived, she told me it was more serious than I lead her to believe. I checked in as a patient and received the full treatment…from lidocain shots, irrigation, scrubbing, and sutures. I left with a 10 day dose of antibiotics to prevent infection.

After cleaning and irrigation in ER.

 The next two days, I continued taking the antibiotics. Redness and swelling set in and started moving up my arm. This was the infection growing from my cut. I made an appointment that day and this doctor confirmed the infection was growing. I received a painful shot of more antibiotics in my right hip and another regiment of a third type of antibiotics.  Despite all this medication, the infection continued growing. This was deeply concerning to me because the next step was possibly “re-opening” the wound and taking IV antibiotics.

We were marking the red infected area with a ball point pen on my arm and watching it grow past that mark over time. I was getting really frustrated with all this, all the while, following this consumption of antibiotics. I resolved to do what I’ve done over the past few years…I fought back with food.

Infection/Redness but taking 3 prescribed antibiotics

Garlic

Garlic is one of those remedies used by our ancestors to prevent and cure any number of things. It has anti-viral and anti-biotic properties. In fact, there are many other health benefits to garlic consumption, including its influence on blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and immunity. (1)

At about 1pm, I had redness and swelling extending 1” beyond the last mark on my arm. The infection was warm to the touch. I took one garlic pill supplement (basically dried crushed garlic) and a spoonful of garlic cloves cooked in olive oil (from the Mediterranean bar at the supermarket). One hour later, the redness and swelling in my arm was reduced by 70%. An hour later, the redness was hardly visible.

2 hours after taking garlic, the redness was no longer visible.

Over the next few days, my arm continued to heal and the redness never returned. I continued taking garlic along with the antibiotics. Through this is was obvious that until I started including garlic with the other medication, my infection was worsening.

While I plan to continue taking the antibiotics prescribed to me, it is obvious that the garlic had a direct result on my ability to fight off the infection. This, and other natural food remedies, are not often recognized in mainstream society. While I do not dismiss modern medicine, I share from my personal experience that food truly is the best medicine.

Run long, eat plants.

Jerry

Niwot's Challenge

In less than two weeks, I'll be participating in the inaugural "Niwot's Challege". This event is not a race, but more so, a mental and physical challenge as designed by Sherpa John Lacroix. Sherpa was admittedly inspired by the Barkley Marathons in his design of this arduous mountain trek set here in Colorado's Front Range. Most of the terrain falls here in Boulder or very nearby. Sherpa has not provided any of us the course map. He has only advised that the course will take us up and over most of the local mountains. A written description provides the location of 13 hidden books, much like Barkley. We must find the books and tear our our prescribed page. Sherpa told me the course is about 50 miles with 20,000' of vertical gain.  Furthermore, many of the mountain summits are not accessible by trail. This means that much of the course is off-trail bushwhacking. With only one aid station, the runners will have to carry enough fuel and equipment to navigate alone for more than a day.

The City of Boulder, like it or not, doesn't allow organized races on their trail systems. If organized races were allowed, we would have some of the most epic trail races right here in Boulder. The trails and local peaks are absolutely off-the-charts. They are technical, vertical, and ever-changing with the Colorado weather. Since 2008, I have had the opportunity to train here in Boulder and throughout Colorado. I then travel to races that don't hold a candle to the trails I run on every day.

Sherpa says nobody will finish Niwots. That fascinates me more than anything. For this reason alone, I want to dive headfirst into this. I'll never be more than an hour from my home. Will I quit like Sherpa predicts? Will I find new strength in the evening hours after others have gone home? It is worth it? What is the measurement of success? Why am I so fascinated by an event just because someone says it's impossible?

We don't hear about ultra on the evening news. Ultrarunning is not an olympic sport. This is still an underground, grassroots, sport. We are unique and eccentric people. That is what attracts me to ultra. It's the quarky individuals who find home here...and don't really fit in anywhere else. Next weekend, when the first Niwot's Challege begins...it will just be a handful of us out for adventure. All I want is feel proud of my effort. I want to take a few steps into impossibility and return home with a story for my son. Ultra is about finding yourself...and sometimes that means doing the impossible.

Everyday Runner: 100 day Kaihogyo

Tendai Buddhist "Marathon Monk" during Kaihogyo attempt

Results of my 100 day Kaihogyo:

-100 runs
-800 miles
-130 hours running
-122,000' vertical gain

Last fall I was lacking motivation to run. I knew it was time to take my annual "vacation" from running. I had been training extremely hard for 9 months straight. I was basically, burnt out. In the last few years, I've resolved to take 2-3 months off from running in late fall.  More than physical, it is a mental break from the daily routine of hard physical training and focused self discipline. In that time off, I allow myself to sleep-in, cook, clean, or do other  projects that most people consider "normal" activities.

When I first started competing in endurance sports, I did not have a feel for the need to take time off in this way. That lead to burn out and injuries. I had just about every overuse running injury on the list. It is devastating to be side-lined from running because of an injury. On the other hand, it gives you a sense of control to take time off as a choice. By doing so, you avoid the depression that undoubtedly comes with injuries.

It was December of last year and I knew my vacation from running had gone too long. I had no motivation to start running. I fought an internal battle...hoping something would pull me out of my sleepy state. I really wanted a slot for WS100 and the lottery failed to go my way. I was out of options...

A brief conversation with my good friend John set me straight. I told him I was not ready to run...just laying low. He was training already for the 2013 season. He intuitively knew I was down in the dumps. He simply said, "Go run Jer."

So I did.

That was all I needed to hear. I made the decision to "go find motivation". I thought about my new found interest from the previous year, which involved the research of the Tendai Buddhist "Marathon Monks". These incredible monks dedicate themselves to the pursuit of enlightenment through physical endurance. Their most amazing physical feat is the "Kaihogyo", a 7 year run broken into 100-200 day cycles. I shared a bit about the Marathon Monks in this post.

I decided I needed to begin a 100 day quest.  Unlike the Tendai, I would not be running 30+ miles a day. This is not at all because I think it is impossible for me.  To the contrary, I truly feel physically and mentally capable of doing the actual distance of the real Kaihogyo. I decided I would work toward a minimum daily run of 5 miles and do it every day for 100 days straight. In short, the daily run is a way to focus on the here and now... As I write this, I am only a few days away from that 100 days.

I sought involvement from other runners on Twitter and Facebook. At the beginning of this 100 days, I was joined by the following runners:

Dawn Marie
Mike McElmeel
Sean Wetstine
Laura Wetstine
Wesley Roelke
Keith Flint
Ryan Brazell
Ryan Lassen

I failed to keep in close contact with everyone throughout the past 100 days. Occasionally, I saw a post from Mike or Ryan online which gave me the indication they were still on track. In part, I was really busy training!  Once this is posted, I hope to find out whether most or all of my fellow 100 day runners made it through the 100 days. Regardless of whether everyone completed their 100 days, I greatly appreciated the aspect of feeling as if I was not alone on those days when I didn't actually feel like running.

Lessons

Here are a few take-aways from my experience thus far...Just like an ultra, it is too difficult to think about the entire distance, or in this case, time.  I had to think about each day, individually. Each evening, I gave thought to where and when I  would run the following day.  This routine gave me purpose each day...I woke up with a purpose. I've found that with this sense of direction, I was happier.

Most of my runs were longer than 5 miles. Just because I set a minimum distance, I rarely clicked off 5 miles and called it a day. On the other hand, there were days when I was pressed for time. I was fully satisfied to get my 5 miles and get on with my day.  I used the 5 miles as a way to get speed work into my training. This is something I truly needed to do. Once or twice a week, I did various types of tempo work on my treadmill to get quality training out of my time and allotted distance. On some days, I had less than an hour. It was those days I started jogging on my treadmill and turned it into a track workout with high turn-over.

I was constantly reminded of the importance to "live for today". Every run was different. Every day was different. I suffered some type of virus in January which gave me a fever and fatigue.  I thought about whether it was worth it for me to get the 5 miles or just rest. I waited until the very end of the day and walked the 5 miles in 3 different sets. I remember smiling as I was finishing those 5 miles...knowing that I was going to feel better soon and feel proud that I walked those miles.

I'm well aware that a 100 day running streak is not a world record. There are people who have been on a streak for decades! I came across a website crediting people with running streaks in excess of 40 years. I haven't gleamed anything profound from my 100 days...but I've enjoyed each day, each run. It is the totality of the effort over the last few months which has provided me the training and motivation for a great 2013 season.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures taken over the Kaihogyo:

Ryan Lassen and I on Green Mountain in Boulder. Running to the summit of Green via different routes became a staple during these 100 days. Each summit yields almost 3,000' vertical gain.  We shared trail with the infamous Krupicka on many days. Tony climbs to this summit once or twice a day. Sage Canaday has also moved into the area and tears up
the trails despite being the new kid in town.

Bear Peak summit; Boulder. Bear Peak is not the highest mountain in Boulder but it has the most epic view. We often
included Bear in our daily summit runs. It always has a great pay off to get on top and look out over the busy world.

I started doing 'Summit Headstands' as a way to memorialize various peaks, saddles, and summits. I plan to continue
the project of getting a picture with a headstand every time I find myself on the top.

Ryan and I drove to Phoenix, AZ for a 50k on short notice. After a 14hr drive, we had to get our 5 miles before midnight.
We had a race in the early morning so this out-and-back through unknown city streets in Phoenix fulfilled our daily 5. We
immediately noticed the extra oxygen in the lower elevation.

In spite of our lack of sleep, we woke up and ran the Elephant Mtn
50k the next day. We took 1st/2nd and flew home that night. It
was awesome to run in the sun for a few hours. The Arizona runers
were awesome to us and made us feel welcome.

Just another summit. Neeraj Engineer and I on top of Green during a full day of training in Boulder.
 We hadn't plan on running together but when we crossed each other on the trail, we remained together for several hours.

To my fellow Kaihogyo runners, thank you for joining me on the 100 day quest. I hope you enjoyed the adventure and came out stronger than you started!

Run long and prosper...

Jerry

Elephant Mountain 50k: Race Report

I'm not a fan of race reports...but, I've found they were very helpful when I was researching a race. Especially when traveling, it is worth the effort to read what someone else says about a particular event. It's great to know whether an event is worth the time and expense of travel. What should I expect? Is it well organized? What's the course like? I try to answer many of those questions in a race report because those are important when researching a race. This is a snapshot of my race experience at the "Elephant Mountain 50k" hosted by Aravaipa Running. Let me know if it's valuable to you in your race research! Run long and prosper...jerry

 Elephant Mountain 50k: 
(12k and 30k distance available)

• Total Miles: approx 32 miles (varied slightly between garmins)
• Terrain: 97% Runnable, Single track compact desert dirt and rocks, dry creeks, desert hills, 1 water crossing with narrow wood bridge) 
• Total Elevation Gain: Approximately 3,600' vertical.
• Aid Stations: Course loops back on itself, plenty of aid for 1 bottle running. 1 unmanned aid station with water only. 
• Weather: 2013 race temperatures were in the low 50s with clear skies and sun. (rain storm in week prior to race)
• Organization: Highly organized and planned. Excellent race direction. 
• Course Markings: Excellent signage with regular confidence ribbons.
• Timing: Chip timed, live results online, facebook updates immediate post-race.
• Photos: High quality photos taken on course and posted for athletes within 48hrs at no cost.
• Concerns: The course loops back on itself so study the course in the later miles to avoid going the wrong direction. The 50k course takes you into the start/finish area and then out for the final 7 miles...those miles can be long so save some juice for the last hour.
• Additional: Post-race food was vegan quesadillas, aid station food, and drinks. The start/finish had plenty of picnic tables for hanging out. It would be a great race to bring a post-race lunch and stay for a while after the event.

Elephant Mountain 50k Course Profile

My buddy Ryan Lassen and I drove to Phoenix in one day. We picked up a rental car and made the trip in an exhausting 14 hours. We wanted a vehicle upon arrival and the flights were inexpensive for a return trip. This is why we drove one-way and flew back. We packed light and stayed in a "Studio 6" about 20 minutes from the race headquarters. The cost of the room was only about $60 and included a kitchen with stove, microwave, fridge and freezer. It was a rather ideal set-up for preparing our breakfast and getting to the race on time.

Upon arrival, it was still dark. The sunrise was approaching but most people were preparing their gear in their cars. The pre-dawn temperatures were in the 30s to my memory. Nick and Jamil Coury of Aravaipa Running made announcements about the timeline. There was a start-finish banner and registration tent. The volunteers were knowledgeable and appeared to be experienced in their duties.

At the start line of the 50k, a few last minute announcements were made. Nobody seemed interested in taking a position on the starting line. The race director motioned with his hand for the runners to move forward toward the starting line. Sometimes the reserved tendency of the starting line can give and indication of competition. Ryan and I planned a conservative start so we didn't intend to run out in front of anyone at the start. Fortunately, there was a group of runners who lead the pack.

The race started and Ryan and I settled into a predetermined effort. We run together often and planned to run a majority of the race together. From the early miles, about 8 male runners ran a competitive effort at the front. Ryan and I were very relaxed and deliberately holding back any effort as we climbed the first couple hills. We lost sight of the pack, but probably stayed within a mile behind.

I like to ease into a 50k like this... I don't "race" from the start line or I'll crash in a few hours. I think a marathon is about as far as I can go in top gear...and a 50k is longer in miles and time.  So, I ran the very tolerable aerobic pace with Ryan for an hour or more. Then we kicked it into gear. When we did so, it felt more like we do during our mountain training in Boulder. It was a familiar high tempo effort and we took turns leading each other through the course.  We were clicking off sub-7 miles on the descents and climbing in a tempo pace of about 9 min/mile.

 Neither of us ran out of fluid, due to the frequent aid. The weather was forgiving with cool temps. It was just a fast trail run with lots of interaction with the other runners. The looping course gave us a chance to high five and cheer the other runners behind us in the 50k and later, the runners in the 12k and 30k.  Taking a page out of the Mark Larson book, we reminded everyone to "Party All Day!"

We continued passing runners on our way to the front of the pack. Everyone was cordial on the trail. Around mile 20, Ryan and  I saw the top 3 runners. A quick evaluation from afar told us they were a bit gassed. (In my experience, the slow turn-over and lack of form during climbing is a clear indicator of how someone is feeling...) We moved up behind them and locked in their pace for a while.

During one of the more technical sections, Ryan and I passed the group and continued up the trail. We continued running together for the next 40 minutes. I felt Ryan falling back occasionally but I knew he had plenty of juice to stay ahead of the others. Our conversation stretched from 6 feet to 40 feet as it became apparent we weren't going to finish side by side. 

In the later miles, there was some sort of mix-up with the course. I had run the wrong-direction on the final loop. Ryan ran the correct direction but missed the final aid station. We were now totally confused. RD Nick Coury met us at a trail junction...he quickly explained we were still on course and they had no intention of disqualifying us. He ran and escorted us to the final aid station, instructing us to run the 30k course to the finish. This left us running the same loop as other runners but in reverse. Eventually, we dropped back into the valley and finished. Ryan trotted in behind me by only 30 seconds.  The other runners started finishing right behind us... Everyone was cool about the course mix-up. I'm sure there will be modifications the signage or someone assigned to make sure runners take the loop in the correct direction from now on.

In all, it was a great race with everything you want in an ultra. I highly recommend the Elephant Mountain 50k or any other race organized by Aravaipa Running. See you on the trails... jerry



Ryan charging hard to the finish

 Top 3 in 50k:
male:
1. Jerry Armstrong
2. Ryan Lassen
3. Ken Chitwood
female
1. Marie Repec
2. Deva Lingemann
3. Jennifer Thomson

Dubstep Boulder

This video was shot on a typical training run in Boulder Colorado. Ryan and I have been finding the summit of these peaks almost every day during the week, accumulating more vertical than I have in past years. The ascent up Green is one of the more challenging routes. You'll see a quick clip what we're pretty sure was mountain lion tracks on the way up. (Nobody in their right mind would take a dog up this route and the prints were as large as our hands.) People are always asking me what Boulder trail running is like....I think this video gives you a pretty good idea. This is why I love Colorado. It was worth the sacrifice to get here and live this life.

Run long and prosper,

jerry




Running Boulder from Jerry Armstrong on Vimeo.