Short Stories of Life after Heart Surgery

It's easier to learn patience when you don't have a choice...

For those of you who have wondered about how my running is going since my heart surgery, here's what I've been up to for the past several weekends. This blog is more informative than it is humorous, but it's okay.

Heart Surgery - July 12

Long story short, I had an ablation done to cure my Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. Essentially, the doctor performed non-invasive heart surgery to destroy an extra electrical pathway in my heart. Here's a link to a more detailed blog on the condition.


Baptisms in California - July 21-22

Ten days after heart surgery, I ran 10 miles in Rancho San Antonio...and there was a grin on my face for every mile of it. The Plantar Fasciitis (PF) in my left foot was incredibly sore afterwards, but I was ECSTATIC to complete my longest run in 5 weeks. My heart was fixed, seemingly, and for the first time in years I could actually get physically excited about running without worrying about my heart beating like a hummingbird drenched in Red Bull. Emotionally, this was a huge day for me.

My Niece and Nephew at Baptism that same weekend. Adore it.

Mt. Hood 50 miler - July 28-29

Timothy Lake

Waking up on race day, I rushed to the start to see off the early and normal starters. My assignment was to help work the Red Wolf Aid Station at miles 34 and 45 (it's an out and back course), and so I had a few hours to kill before needing to be set up. So I went for an easy 14 mile run around Timothy Lake, carefully monitoring my foot as I ran. It was a very tranquil run, and my foot was only mildly sore afterwards.

We Nspire each other

Volunteering at Captain Marta's aid station was one of the best and proudest things I've ever been a part of. These weren't just random runners that I was helping, they were my close friends and training partners who have had a profound influence on my life for the past 2 years. There was even a thru-hiker by the name of 'Raisin' who hung out for 15 minutes while we served him tons of Marta's 7-layer dip. The only thing that would have made the day sweeter is if I were able to see everybody finish. After personally seeing the adversity that many of the runners were facing throughout the race, it would have made me proud to witness their hard work pay off. That's why this video brings tears to my eyes sometimes. And Gail has earned my full-hearted respect for what she had to endure that day, God bless that woman.



Waldo 100k Training - August 4-5

The Sisters and Waldo Lake

Larry "The Strap" invited me to join him for a low-key training run weekend along the Waldo Course (thanks Larry!). HIS plan was to do the first 30 miles Saturday and the second 30 miles on Sunday with the group. MY plan was only to complete the first 30 miles of the course on Saturday and then do my own thing on Sunday. This 30 miles would be my longest run since April 15th and my first run over 14 miles since May 19.

My Heroes

The climb up the ski slopes of Willamette Pass were filled with tender steps, but once my foot got warmed up everything was feeling fine. It was a fun group  with some awesome runners, and the run was enjoyable despite being one of the hottest days of summer. Then while we were all baking on the top of Mt. Fuji, Ken Sinclair mentions something about drinking an ice-cold Orange Crush...and that's all I thought about for the next 20 miles. Damnit. After we finished our run and got back to the campsite, a miracle happened...for the first time in 4 months, I wasn't limping after a long run. My left foot was a little sore, but it wasn't feeling inflamed! Going to bed, I had high hopes for Sunday morning...

2:30 a.m. - My goal was to make it to the top of Maiden Peak so I could film a time lapse of the sunrise. Carrying two gallons of water as an 'aid station' for everyone running the 2nd half of the course, I hiked 3 miles before stashing the jugs in the bushes near the junction with the PCT. Then it was time to race the sun to the top of the mountain (I beat it by an hour). For two hours I watched the sunrise, soaking in the relief that my foot wasn't stopping me anymore from reaching the most beautiful places on earth.

After getting back to the campsite for breakfast, I joined LB and Jeff Riley for some trailwork. Despite hiking with a heavy-ass chainsaw on my back on-and-off for the next several miles, my foot stayed strong. My total mileage for the weekend was 45+ miles, and for the first time in 4 months: Advantage = Jason.

Scenes from the weekend:

Pothole Meadow

Sunrise from Maiden Peak

Sunrise from Maiden Peak

Loading the saw with Jeff Riley

Squamish 50 Mile Race - August 10-13

Heading to Canada!

ROAD TRIP! Gary Robbins and Geoff Langford were Race Directing the inaugural Squamish 50 mile run, relay, and half marathon. This was a great opportunity to volunteer while exploring some of the trails in the area, and I had a blast! Gary had me marking the course over a super fun section of trail that weaved in and out of some quick ascents/descents filled with fun technical terrain. After I finished, he had me course mark another 10 miles of gravel roads and gnarly mountain bike trails that ran like a technical roller coaster. Running the trails was probably more fun than biking them, in my opinion. After finishing the course marking, my reward came in the form of 2 beers from Howe Sound Brewery, 4 slices of pizza, 2 hours of sleep in the back of my car, and more course marking with Gary at 1:00 am. Holy shit, that was fun! I don't think I've ever experienced a race that was so well marked. The race was a HUGE success, and the amount of work that the RDs and Volunteers put in was absolutely amazing. The course was tough, but it made the runners even prouder to finish. The views were absolutely beautiful, and the forest was full of life. Congrats on a job well done, Gary and Geoff!

After volunteering all day at the race, I definitely felt hungover the next morning despite not drinking any beer the night prior. In search of a scenic run, Gary sent me up up up above Squamish until I drove into Garibaldi Provincial Park. The first section of trail was an extremely draining long gradual sheltered 3 mile climb, but I kept on trucking in hope that the views would start to get better. And OMG, after the first 3 miles it instantly became one of the most scenic runs I had ever been on! It either felt like running in the Alps or somewhere near Edoras. For the first time in a looooong time, my spirit was renewed.

Scenes from the Trip:

Mosquito Repellant, Lady Attractant 

Lies

Taking a break before marking
10 more miles of the course.

FUN!

Cool trail sign

Authority.
Photo by Glenn Tachiyama. Thanks for hanging out, Glenn!
You always make me look DAMN!

Imagine this view almost 360 degrees.
Shot from my run in Garibaldi Provincial Park.

Road trip back to 'merica

Waldo 100k Race Weekend - August 18-19

It wasn't that bad.

First off, I would like to congratulate Craig Thornley and everyone else who helped organize the race. This year was particularly special considering the re-route due to the Bobby Lake fire. This added at least 3 miles to the already tough course, but it kept the race from being cancelled. Also, a HUGE thanks to the firefighters who helped contain and control the fire, saving more than just the race. True heroes.

Hooray for car camping. I woke up in the passenger seat of my car just 10 minutes before the start of the race (4:50 am) to cheer on some friends of mine. Larry "The Strap", Scott Wolfe, Joe Uhan (pacer), Mike Davis, Larry Stephens, Kathleen Egan, Glenn Tachiyama (crew), Anne Crispino-Taylor (sweeper), and maybe a couple others. As soon as the race started, I went back to my car for a 3 hour nappy-poo.

My assignment was the Maiden Peak aid station at mile ~52...aka the Spongebob Aid Station. After hiking 3 miles into the aid station with our supplies, we had everything setup and ready by 11:20am. The first runner wasn't expected until at least noon, so we all hung out and I ingested a footlong Subway sandwich. Soon after, a man comes up the trail with course markers and hands me a bunch of ribbons to help mark 3 miles of the course to the top of Maiden Peak (as the Queen requested). Sure! As I ran up, I realized that Subway was a poor choice. Miraculously, I made it to the top without a spew.

The Queen and someone doing
a lantern dance for the finishers
in the distance.

Running back down to my aid station, I saw the Jacob Rydman and his pacer Joe Uhan in first place. Soon after was Timothy Olson running up the Maiden peak trail, looking A LOT fresher than Jacob did. Then there was Jesse Haynes and Yassine Diboun, both working together and competing for 3rd place and the final Western States slot. Then I arrived back at the aid station and helped aid the rest of the Waldo runners as they prepared for the final 12 miles of the race. Despite the hellish climb that awaited all the runners, every single person who came into the aid station was grateful and extremely well-natured. I was proud of every single runner who managed to smile, swallow the pain, and keep going. It's often a highly underestimated course, but many persevered despite their expectations. My hero of the day was Jeff McAlpine who had a very rough day, but managed to conquer the longest distance of his life...and smile while doing it. And congrats to everyone else who finished or dropped, for it takes courage just to get to the starting line. My heroes.

Photos from the weekend:

Talking Spongebob

Taken from my run on the PCT
South of Hwy 58, the day after Waldo.
I have no idea how far I went.

CONCLUSION

So yes, my heart is fixed. Yes, my plantar isn't preventing me from running like an animal. Yes, after a depressing couple of months, things are starting to look up. But for how long?

Life happens in waves. Inevitably things can come crashing down just as quickly as things seem to be getting better. There's no such thing as a rock bottom, because things can always, ALWAYS be worse. But then again, life can sometimes be a real SOB. For example: The last time I said the words "how can things possibly get worse?", I found out I needed heart surgery. Haha, Life, you crazy son of a b*tch, you!

The only way to prepare for the lows of life is by learning to take NOTHING for granted. It's easier said than done, and I definitely take too many things for granted in my life. But for now, the ability to run without pain has been a dream of mine for the past 4 months, and I've FINALLY crossed the threshold. Chances are, I'm going to get injured again. Chances are, I'll see darker days. Chances are, life will challenge me in ways unimaginable. So while I'm healthy and happy, I'm going to take advantage and always remember the suffering I went through to get back to where I am now.

I'm grateful for my family, friends, and the opportunity to volunteer and aid for so many inspirational runners. You've given me so much spirit when I had so little. Thank you, everyone. I Love you all.

For those of you who are injured, head up. Be the meaning of courage.

Matt Carrel posted this on Facebook one day...

Much Love,

Jbob

Post Heart Surgery - SUCCESS!

I'M ALIVE!!!!

I have no memory of this photo. Apparently I asked the doctor to take it.

If you read my last blog post, you know that I just had heart surgery for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. The surgery was a SUCCESS! Apparently after the surgeons were finished, I asked the doctor to take my picture (see above). I also did a lot of singing and talking in a Scottish accent as I was coming out of the anesthesia...Too bad I don't remember any of that.

Now that the procedure is over, I will have 7 days of 'house arrest', where I'll be limited to barely any walking in order to let my 3 incisions heal (one in each leg and one in my neck). After that initial 7 days, I'll be able to do more, though still limited. My normal running probably won't happen until 2 weeks from now, but it all depends on how well I heal. Since running and exercise is taboo for the next week or two, now I know how Animal must have felt (see below).

That said...THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!! Every hug, text, facebook message, wink, nod, high five, fist bump, chest bump, snail, turkey, slap, e-mail, letter, phone call meant THE WORLD to me! To all my family and friends, I thank you from the bottom of my improved heart for all the kind words and support through everything. I felt the Love, and you show me the true meaning of happiness. I Love you all!

Group Hug after my DNF at the Trailfactor 50k

Lesson Learned


I'm not invincible. Nobody is. Even Highlander immortals can be defeated by the sword.


So...now what?!

ruuuunning...ruuuuunning! Running! RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING!

There's a renewed fire in my burning heart, and I'm amped to get back running again. After experiencing a couple DNFs, dropping out of Bighorn and Wasatch, and taking time off from running...my focus has shifted to becoming first a healthier runner, then a stronger/faster runner. The Plantar Fasciitis in my left foot is still ever present (and it will be for a while), but it's taught me to be patient and to take better care of my body. That means more self-massage, core exercises, better nutrition, and general icing. This whole experience has been such a blessing, and I can already see its immediate benefit in how I plan to approach my training/living.

I'll get back on the trails soon...and when I do, it's gonna be one hell of a comeback.

Thanks, Cheers, and much Love,

Jbob

My Rapid Heartbeat = Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

I was diagnosed on Thursday 6-20-12 with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. What the hell is that? Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:

"Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome (WPW) is one of several disorders of the conduction system of the heart that are commonly referred to as pre-excitation syndromes. While the majority of individuals with WPW remain asymptomatic throughout their entire lives, there is a risk of sudden cardiac death associated with the syndrome.

WPW is caused by the presence of an abnormal accessory electrical conduction pathway between the atria and the ventricles. Electrical signals travelling down this abnormal pathway (known as the bundle of Kent) may stimulate the ventricles to contract prematurely, resulting in a specific type of supraventricular tachycardia referred to as an atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia.

The incidence of WPW is between 0.1% and 0.3% in the general population.^[1][2][3] Sudden cardiac death in people with WPW is rare (incidence of less than 0.6%), and is usually caused by the propagation of an atrial tachydysrhythmia (rapid and abnormal heart rate) to the ventricles by the abnormal accessory pathway.^[3][4]"

Here's my story:

So every now and then, usually in periods of exercise or excitement, my heart rate would all of a sudden start beating at 180-200 beats per minute. It calms down on its own after a few minutes, although in the past few years, the length of time has been as long as half an hour.

The first occurrence happened during freshman year of college at a Gonzaga Basketball game when Derek Raivio shot a three pointer. I got SO excited with anticipation, my heart jumped into a Rapid Heart Rate. It didn't take long to go away, so I just assumed it was adrenaline.

Most of my recent episodes have happened whilst running. Three weeks before my Cascade Crest 100 mile race in 2011, I ran a 50K with my pacer Matthew Carrell called Grand Ridge. After getting excited about being in 2nd place at mile 20, my heart rate jumped up and I was forced to walk to prevent the lightheadedness. I tried everything to slow down my heart rate by sitting, to lying down as if to take a nap, and even pretending to take a shit (my sister said the pushing would help). After 30 minutes or so, it went back to normal. It was a loop course, so I ran back to the start of the race and dropped out at the 26 mile point.

My latest two instances have happened while running up Dog Mountain with Amy in the winter, and during my DNF at Miwok 2012 in May. Each occurrence is several months apart and seems to show up at random times. Surprisingly, it has never happened at a Timbers game.

My ECG

Here's what I'm doing about it:

When the cardiologist diagnosed me, he was almost giddy with excitement. Why? Because it's a 100% curable syndrome, and he was able to spot it on the ECG. So he then sent me down the hall to an electrophysiologist (EP) to discuss the matter further (who was also giddy). The EP said that this syndrome probably wouldn't kill me, but nobody likes to hear the words "probably" and "kill" in the same sentence. So I opted to schedule the procedure that would cure me.

The procedure involves inserting a "pacing catheter" through my leg that will follow the blood vessels to my heart. The doctor will then use the catheters to identify the tissue on the heart that is causing my WPW syndrome, and he will use radio frequency energy to destroy the area of heart tissue. Since this area is an "extra" piece of muscle tissue that I was born with, destroying it shouldn't affect my healthy heart at all.

The procedure is tentatively scheduled for July 12 (but may be delayed until I can cure the pneumonia that I've been dealing with for the past 2 months), and should take maybe 5 hours plus 6 hours of laying flat with my legs strapped to the bed to prevent bending and re-opening the incisions from the procedure. Spending the night at the hospital should be expected, and I'll be discharged the next day.

How do I feel about it?

I'm glad I went to the cardiologist! And if my Plantar Fasciitis hadn't prevented me from going to Bighorn 100 last weekend, I wonder how risky that would have been...I'm starting to take a little more comfort in my Plantar Fasciitis,  it may be a blessing in disguise.

So I've decided not to do any real cardio until I have my procedure. I'll keep biking to work, but this is also a great chance for me to work on my core strength and flexibility. I mean, I've never had this much free time since I started ultrarunning...maybe I'll read a book or two? Hmm...I'll definitely save a ton of money on food. I'll put the savings towards my 'puppy' fund.

Moral of the Story

BE HEALTHY! Get checked out if you have any possible signs of bodily dysfunction. And listen to your heart! And always tell people how much you appreciate having them in your lives, because the world needs more expressed Love.

It's been one hell of a month. I'm grateful for my roommates, because without them I'd be doing a lot less singing and dancing. Especially Todd W...Love you.

Love you all!

Jbob

Finishing the White Salmon Half on June 16th,
Photo by Jenn

Plantar Fasciitis - I'm Dropping out of Bighorn and Wasatch - 2012

Runners are Idiots.

Who else would run 20 miles with a rock in his shoe, leading to swollen forefoot and an arranged marriage with a pair of fatty Hokas? At least, that's how 2012 started out for me. Stupid. Why didn't I take the rock out of my shoe? Seconds equal minutes! If I stop to adjust every little discomfort during a race, I lose precious time! But I wasn't racing, I was in the middle of a training run. And lo and behold, 4 months later, the swelling in my right forefoot has FINALLY gone down! Well, at least I can stop wearing the Hokas. Man, I've missed my Saucony Peregrines...

That's a perfect example of my ignorance. My body tells me lots of things that I often choose to ignore, because I don't know any better. I should know better, but I don't. And here I am, icing my Plantar Fasciitis with a relaxed mindset, because I've decided to drop out of Bighorn (June 15, 2 weeks away) and Wasatch (Sept 7). In my last blog post, I was very optimistic about finishing Bighorn. Since then, I've had some wake up calls...

JUNE 2, 2012

2 weeks before Bighorn, the plan was to get some decent hiking in before completely tapering down. But when I arrived at the foot of Wahkeena Falls, I started running to the top of Larch Mountain. The foot felt okay, but my fitness had obviously deteriorated over the past month and a half of rest. That was a little disappointing. The effort reminded me of the first time I ran up to Larch Mountain with Chris Peck in 2010. At the tippy top, I pulled out a golf ball and rolled my foot briefly to try to work out some of the soreness. By the time I ran all the way to the base of Multnomah Falls, my foot was sore (but not unbearably sore). It was the limping the next morning that forced my hand in the decision. Enough of this...

At this point, it's more of a relief to take away the stress of will my foot be ready in time for the race? Will my fitness be adequate? Can I train AND heal at the same time? If I run Bighorn, how far will I push the pain? How long would it to take to heal AFTER Bighorn? There's no way I'll be able to heal AND train for Wasatch, either. If I drop out of both and let my foot heal, I can at least salvage a decent summer of running...what's more important to me?...Any muggle could find it an easy choice to make. But for a competitive trail runner who yearns for the most difficult and beautiful endurance challenges...it took me a little longer to come to terms with the situation. But in the end, I'm giving myself the chance to heal and become a healthier and stronger runner. And when I say healthier, I'm ignoring the fact that I just ate an entire box of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Everybody goes through this eventually, in some way or form. A perfect summer is now reduced to next year's dream. But this perspective has really turned my passion towards something more pure...I just want to be able to run fast again! This gingerly running has been frustrating, and all I want is to be able to let loose on some trails like a slow cheetah.

So here's the plan:

• Heal the foot!
• Work on my core strength and general flexibility
• Transition back to my Saucony Peregrines! (I fear the Hokas have made my feet weak...just a theory)
• Volunteer for any race that I can
• Get back in shape, steady as she goes
• Run the Volcanic 50 on September 15th (race around Mt. St. Helens)
• Run Rim-Rim-Rim at the Grand Canyon (or epic equivalent) in October
• Beat my time from last year at the North Face 50 mile endurance run on December 1st in San Francisco (Registered).

TO MY FRIENDS

I was really looking forward to enjoying my hundred milers with Jen E, Jenn L, Josh B, Cheri R, Gary R, Tom O'Toole, Julie T, Stephen P, Scott W, and others...but I hope you enjoy the journey without me. Run healthy, and kick some ass!

And to Kyle, thanks for all the Love! Way to rock your first marathon on Saturday!

Nice Shirt!

Plantar Fasciitis and training for the Bighorn 100 mile Endurance Run

Panic! At the Disco.

DNF at the Trailfactor 50K on May 28th

I first started feeling the symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis the weekend after the Peterson Ridge Rumble 40 miler. Friday night was 80s Dance night at the Crystal Ballroom. Saturday night was a Timbers Game. Sunday was a 20 mile  run with a fast finish...and then my arch started to feel sore.

Symptom: The soreness starts at
whatever the hell this is.

Symptom 2: The soreness then travels
across the arch. I have NO heal pain.

SUNDAY APRIL 29th - 6 Weeks and 5 Days until Bighorn

My foot didn't start hurting until AFTER my 20 mile run, so I took that as a good sign. Maybe it's just soreness from all the jumping at 80s night and the Timbers game? Regardless, I had two weeks until Miwok to figure things out. The first week consisted of rest and ice. The second week consisted of 3 Chiropractic visits to Dr. Noe Flores. At the first visit with Noe, within a minute he was able to find several areas of tightness in my foot/arch and performed some adjustments that instantly made my foot feel better (but still a little sore). I was very hopeful in that my foot may loosen up in time for Miwok, but there was only one way to find out...

MIWOK - SATURDAY MAY 5th - 5 Weeks and 6 Days until Bighorn

The Miwok 100k started out with an unforgiving hike from the beach to one of the higher points in the race. Soon afterward, the trail turned into a cambered single track with my bad foot on the downhill side of the camber. I should also mention that wearing Hokas on cambered surfaces makes the ankles prone to rollage. And after a few rolls, tweeks, and general aggravation of my left foot, I decided to drop out of the race at mile 12. I wasn't having a good race anyways, and my body was heavily under the influence of Flax...so I was happy to stop.

By crazy random happenstance, a friend of mine was at the aid station where I dropped at Miwok. I've only met Harry Walther twice before while training in Rancho San Antonio near my home in California, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him there (he wasn't running, but supporting 2 of his friends). After some moping and complaining, Harry grabbed my leg and pressed on my Tibialus Posterior near the top of my calf. I almost screamed, it hurt so bad! He then explained to me that there are several tendons in the leg that connect to the bottom of the arch of the foot, and that my tendons were painfully tight. Maybe a good deep tissue massage would cure my ailment...?! After he gave me a ride back to the start (THANK YOU!), I had lunch in San Francisco and went home to Santa Clara to spend time with family. After hearing how hard the new 2012 Miwok course was, I'm glad I dropped! It's a hundred miler in disguise.

CHIROPRACTIC HELP - TUESDAY MAY 8th - 5 Weeks and 3 Days until Bighorn

After discussing possible solutions with Dr. Noe Flores, he recommended I see Dr. Brad Farra (since Noe doesn't specialize in massage, and Brad does). Noe was a big help in freeing up the joints in my foot, and the next step was to take care of the muscles/tendons. I saw Dr. Brad Farra the Tuesday after Miwok. He diagnosed me with PLANTAR FASCIITIS and performed graston (deep tissue massage) on my legs and feet to help loosen the muscles/tendons and break up scar tissue. The experience went something like this. The fact that my legs/feet were so tight was definitely an indication of too much running without paying attention to self maintenance. By committing myself to running up to 80 miles a week, I should have also committed myself to self-massage techniques, core strengthening, and general icing of sore anythings...maybe even Yoga!

I set myself up to see Dr. Brad Farra twice a week for the next few weeks, and he gave me several foot/core strengthening exercises to do throughout the day. This was the 3rd week of minimal running (less than 15 miles) since the initial onset of arch pain, and I was beginning to wonder how I was going to be able to maintain my fitness for Bighorn...

TODAY - TUESDAY MAY 30TH - 2 Weeks and 3 Days until Bighorn

The foot is healing! I had my best training run since April 15 this past weekend when I ran 26 miles via the rocky Eagle Creek Trail with minimal foot soreness. My training has just peaked at about 50 miles last week, and that's going to be as good as it gets. I'm now resting my foot and doing some foot and core exercises, chiropractic massage from Dr. Brad Farra, and icing the hell out of it. I plan on doing some weekend Larch Mountain hikes to keep my legs active, as well as some biking over the next couple weeks.

My goals for Bighorn have been slightly altered due to my less than ideal training, but I'm still hoping to break 24 hours. It's a tough course, but I feel I can persevere as long as my foot stays strong. My fitness won't be perfect, but I only need to run the first 50 miles since the last 50 miles are all mental...ha!

So...how do I feel? I feel like Faramir when he rides to take back Osgiliath knowing that he's going to die. Courageous, but full of angst. I'm going to finish this race, I just don't know how. If I'm forced to walk because of my foot, I'll walk. Que sera sera. We'll see what happens...

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE

• Wyoming! Woohoo!
• Gorgeous course!
• Moosen!
• Thomas O'Toole!
• Adventure!
• Race Experience!
• My NSPIRE Racing Shirt!
• Friends galore!
• Character Building!
• At least I have feet!
• Killing Inner Demons!
• Lessons Learned!
• New Perspective!
• Running should not be taken for granted!

THANKS

Thanks to all those who have been supportive and have had to listen to me mope about my foot for the past 1.5 months. As Yassine so eloquently put..."It's your turn." Everyone goes through periods of injury, and now it's my turn to learn from my mistakes and work to make myself a healthier and stronger runner. So if you hear me female-dog and complain about my foot, just say "Shutup, it's your turn."

Indeed it is.

The next blog post will be the Bighorn 100 Race Report. Cheers!

Peterson Ridge Rumble 40 mile - Sunday April 15, 2012 - Sisters, OR

Vitamin D! The D is for Deficient.

There's always something that feels magical about the rumble...this year was a combination of friends, burritos, sunburn, and a little bit of depression. When I say depression, I mean the kind you get where everything is perfect except the way you feel during a race. This particular race kicked my butt and put me out of character and into a dark spell for the last 30 miles.


THE COURSE


Here's a brief approximate course description: Flat 4 miles, 9 miles gradual uphill, 9 miles gradual downhill, 10 miles flat/uphill, 8 miles downhill, 400m track finish, DONE.


3...2...(fist bump)...GO!!!

Love Tap from the Yassine Machine,
the Legendary Rob Hendrickson starting right behind me

After having a great race at the Gorge 50K 3 weeks earlier, I was all kinds of confident going into this race. After the start, there was only 1 runner who took off as if he were going for gold. The rest of the pack was going steady and sticking together (Max King among them). I clung onto the back of the group and ran with them rather comfortably, but I knew it wouldn't last. After all, this was just another training run for something better (Miwok 100k / Bighorn100m), and my legs weren't exactly rested for this race. So...why again was I running with the front pack...?

Running with Lewis

As soon we got off the "road to perdition" and onto the single track, something happened...the gradual uphill was rapidly sucking the life out of me, and I was struggling to find my comfort zone. I blew by the first Aid Station while grabbing a PB&J square, only to watch it fly out of my hands as I face planted into the trail just moments later. MY PB&J! NOOOO!!!! That was a wake up call. My legs couldn't keep up with my ambitions, and my fatigue was preventing me from concentrating on what I do best (NOT falling on my face). My pace slowed, my legs were struggling on even the smallest climb, and all I could think about were the burritos at the finish line. Man, 6 miles in and I'm feeling burned...this is going to be a long race....


After getting passed by a couple runners, I latched on to some familiar faces (Jared who I met during Hagg Lake, and Lewis Taylor who I went hunting with in Eugene). We pretty much ran together until the turn around at the top of the climb, and that's when I tried my luck on the downhill. After pulling away from the group, my pace was slowed as I started paying attention to the trees. The high desert forest was generously spaced out, making it easy to spot someone on the trail at least 100 meters ahead. It'd be hard to hide from anybody running the race...and this was a problem because I had to take a shit, and I get shy about that kind of thing (unless I'm 95 miles into a 100 mile race. Sorry again, Matt). Eventually I found a giant rock formation to hide behind. Problem solved.

Just before the
40m Turnoff

Back to the Trail! I lost my group of friends, especially after I made my first lengthy Aid Station stop to fill both my bottles. Getting off the trail and back on the Road to Perdition, I saw Lewis hundreds of yards ahead. Well, that's the last I'll see of that guy...God speed. After the turnoff, things were feeling heavy at this point. My bottles were heavy, my legs were heavy, and my heart was heavy. I don't know why I was having such a hard time keeping a positive mentality, but it was tough to be optimistic when I felt like walking. I should have known better than to get so negative, but these things happen sometimes. I kept running, because I wouldn't have forgiven myself for walking when I had no real reason to.

My GU face

The next section of climbing really wasn't that bad, and I enjoyed the "steep" uphill parts. I had my bottles filled at the next aid station, grabbed a quick bite, and ran off. There was only one more aid station to go, and I knew Todd Janssen would be there. That became my main motivation to get my ass in gear, cause I gotta make Todd proud! I was pushing the uphills just fine, and my legs enjoyed the downhills...but my enthusiasm was completely gone. I passed one runner who was sucking it big time, and that gave me a little boost of confidence. A couple photographers later, Todd Janssen's aid station appears!

Todd: How do you feel, Jason?

Jason: I feel like shit!

Todd: Hey, you're being filmed on the GoPro

Jason: Huh? Oh, hehe...

With only 5.5 miles to go, I was ready to be done. I wasn't feeling sick or anything, just drained mentally and physically. Almost there!...Wait a minute...where are the pretty yellow course markers? Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww shit demon (explicit)....Lo and behold, I made a wrong turn. Josh Nordell had followed me too, and we tacked on an extra mile together. As unfortunate as it sounds, it was a bonding moment. As we got back on course, I used him as a pacer to get me through a rough patch (Thank you!). My legs were reluctant, but he pulled me along for a few miles. Then the the downhill dirt road appeared, the final descent back into the high school! Alleluia! BURRITOS! When I hit the track for the final 400m loop, I dropped my water bottles, started to sprint, got tired, stopped sprinting, sucked wind, remembered why I quit track in high school, jumped over the hurdle, and took it home.

Results: 4:51:08 (supposedly) – 12th out of 147 Finishers

Pace: ~7:17 min/mile

Best Hug Ever 

Considering my main goal was to break 5 hours, I had a good race! There's a number of things I could have done in order to better prepare myself (mentally) for the race, but my youthful ignorance threw me into an all-familiar Catch-22. Using a race as a training run for an even bigger race often leaves little time for tapering. My problem is that when I run a race untapered, my competitiveness still pushes me to run what I WANT to be capable of...and thus, I fall into a dark place when I hit the physical reality that my body can't keep up, at least not with the legs I had that particular day. Without adhering to the fundamentals of race preparation (aid station memorization, course memorization, and situational compromise), I left myself with very little ammo to help me fight my shit demons....in retrospect, I should have thought of people like Terry Fox for a little perspective.


MY HERO - KYLE CHAFFIN

Before the Rumble, 2012

First of all, I would like to thank Kyle and Nicole (and Justin) for their support all these years since the 2010 Bunker to Bonnevile 50K. You're awesome, and I appreciate you guys more than you know!


Kyle broke his leg in November 2010 when he slipped on black ice during a winter road race in the gorge. Most of 2011 was spent healing until he was able to start running in Sept/October. At this year's rumble, Kyle completed the longest distance of his life by running the 20 mile race. It's been a long time coming, and it's great to see you running your ass off again! Congrats on your run, and keep after it! See you soon!

Kyle's Leg, Beacon Rock 50K
June 2011

MIWOK - DNF


3 weeks after the Peterson Ridge rumble, I attempted to run the Miwok 100k on May 5th. After 12 miles, I dropped due to a sore foot that had been bothering for a couple weeks. With the Bighorn 100 on June 15th, I decided to drop and give myself time to heal. Since then, I have been diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis and am undergoing treatment. Now after 3 weeks of rest (including the 2 weeks prior to Miwok), I have less than 5 weeks until Bighorn to heal and gain back some cardio. This'll be an interesting few weeks for me, and I'll blog later about Miwok, my treatment, training, and my confidence going into Bighorn.


After seeing how hard Miwok was this year, I'm REALLY glad I dropped. Mad props to Stephen Petretto for pushing through a tough finish!


Cheers!


Jbob