Bloody Ben gets Dirty

6th Guard Marathon-I’ll Take It!

bloodyben — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:27:20 +0000

This was, as I said, my 6th National Guard Marathon. I trained super hard for the race this year, with my sights set on a sub 3 hour marathon. As race day approached, I felt this may not be within my grasps, but I still focused on running as best as I could. The end result: A very, very well run race.

It was quite chilly on race morning, and I elected to wear a long sleeve shirt with gloves and my Zensah recovery sleeves. I took off the long sleeve shirt and stayed in my singlet, but the temperature proved cool enough to leave the gloves on. I started off the marathon quite easily, doing the first mile in 8 flat. I picked up the pace after that, but had trouble doing anything quicker than 7:30 pace, worried about dying in the second half of the race. I hit the 5K mark in 24:48, quite different from last year’s 21:53 for the same split. I did my best to run quickly and efficiently, but not to the point it felt like a tempo run. I was enjoying the cool day out. All the spectators were bundled up quite well this year. I hit the 10K mark in 48:19, still over 3 minutes slower than last year, but but this time, I had “settled” into my pace and was running 7:30s consistently. After mile 7 I hit a big hill and blasted down the other side. As I continued through the first half, I wondered what my time would be. Could I hope for a 3:05 or better? I was running based purely on effort, and what I thought I could maintain for the whole marathon. After the 1st 10 miles I noticed my left quadricep muscle was aching. I hoped it wouldn’t cramp up later in the race. Not too long after that, I hit the half marathon mark in 1:40:12. I was quite off pace from last year (1:34) but I knew a solid performance in the latter portion of the race could more than make up for it. Once I knew the time for the half, I simply sought to beat my time from last year, 3:13:58, but by a large margin. I thought I could get close to 3:10 if everything worked to my advantage. This was not to be, but I’ll continue the story. Between the half marathon and the 18 mile mark, my goal was to maintain a 7:18 mile. From there, I would bump the pace down to 7:08 if my body would take it. Boy, did I surprise myself! I ran the stretch between the half marathon and the 25K mark at 7:12 pace. From the 25K mark to the 20 mile mark, I averaged 7:07. I was really hurting by this point. Nothing felt good, and my left quadricep felt like it was about to seize up on every step. I hoped it would keep working. From mile 20, it was guts or glory. I aimed to run every mile under 7 minutes. I paid dearly and nearly reached my pain threshold. I battled my body, which craved mercy. I do believe my experience of the course allowed my mind to push to the very end, a sort of subconscious effort, knowing exactly how far the finish was. As I sped past my hopelessly failing competition, I pushed into overdrive. I could see the stadium approaching, where I would soon be finishing at the 50 yard line. I dropped my pace down to flat 6 for the last 3/4 of a mile. I blasted into the stadium, setting a new Lincoln best of 3:12:20. My legs collapsed from muscle failure after crossing the finish line. I couldn’t even bear the thought of a massage, due to how much I hurt. It was my absolute best.

I didn’t make the All-Guard Team again this year (I would have had to run a 3:04 marathon to do so), but I did make the grade as an alternate, in case they need a spot filled for a race. My race was perfect. You can see my splits below, courtesy of MTEC results:

Miles and Time Trials

bloodyben — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 01:56:23 +0000

I am on the verge of running my biggest training month-ever. With the National Guard Marathon looming just 6 weeks away, I have hit official training season. I wasn’t sure if I could do it. Building to a 75 mile-per-week average without shin splints, over-training, or too much time away from wife wife and rapidly enlarging son Ethan, is a task I have mastered. Now, I’m shooting to run over 100 miles this week, and really starting to feel like a road warrior. I start off sore, but always loosen up and really take off after a few miles. Here are the stats since February 3rd:

February 3-9:

6 runs
35.03 miles
5:16:32 running time

10-16

11 runs
77.60 miles
10:23:12 running time

17-23

10 runs
47.80 miles
6:58:24 running time

24-Mar 2

10 runs
89.26 miles
13:59:41 running time

3-9

10 runs
79.60 miles
12:20:00 running time

10-16

16 runs
76.91 miles
11:46:27 running time

17-23

10 runs
74.30 miles
14:24:12 running time

Last 30 Days:

Count:	50 Activities
Distance:	346.76 mi
Time:	56:02:44 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:	13,407 ft
Avg Speed:	6.2 mph
Avg HR:	133 bpm
Calories:	33,275 C
Avg Distance:	6.94 mi

Oh Ben Blessing, what could be up your sleeve this time?

bloodyben — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:52:05 +0000

My desire to put on events that essentially, try and instill a sense of pride in our natural world has resulted in . . . another incredible ultra. Slated for June/July 2014, this tentative route for the Blue Mountains 50 Miler should be another favorite (I changed the name after I realized there was another Northwest ultra with a similar name). Featuring a hilly roller coaster ridge (at 8K), I will either get a large crowd or a tough crowd. The 50 miler will feature over 18,000 ft of climb, making it one of the hardest 50s in the world. This was not the intent, however, but if any of you know, Ben Blessing has a penchant for mountainous races. There will also be an “easier” 50K and a 15K for the kiddos. Get your climbin’ legs ready. . .

Garmin Connect – Elkhorn Crest 50 Miler.

->Lactic Acid<-

bloodyben — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:34:08 +0000

Training is finally starting to get up to par. I’ve been running my legs off, with hopes of a sub 3:00 marathon at the Lincoln National Guard Marathon, as well as my last semester before graduating with my B.A. in Music Theory. Hopefully I find a great job in today’s economy! Also hopeful for a “w” at the inaugural Bryce 100. But here are the stats:

Count:	28 Activities
Distance:	139.93 mi
Time:	23:23:33 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:	13,624 ft
Avg Speed:	5.9 mph
Avg HR:	fast
Calories:	11,093 C
Avg Distance:	5.00 mi

I did 8x400m at a 77.78 average the other night, which is a new record for me. Good racing coming ahead. I wrote this little diddy Sunday night.

Wilson Creek Frozen 50K-worthy of the name finally

bloodyben — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:40:23 +0000

Last year’s Wilson Creek race featured a mudslide of a course, with a pace that rivaled my Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile PR. I anticipated better course conditions this year, with lots of snow and essentially not a single day of weather going above freezing in the last month. I carpooled to the race start with Tony Bunt, and we arrived with plenty of time to get ready (no line for the bathrooms yet!). Upon my realization that it was too cold for my trombone slide to move, I had to keep my horn in front of a propane space heater until seconds before I needed to play. I put my horn away, and we were all off. It was below zero.

Within the 1st mile, I contemplated DNF. My lack of warm socks cooled my feet down enough that I anticipated frostbite on my feet, which made me wary to continue on. I told myself I would trudge on for a few more miles and hope the warmth of my body would reach my toes, which did happen. I chatted with friends, enjoyed the beauty of the Owyhee range, and rocked out to John Adam’s “My Father Knew Charles Ives.” As we climbed Wilson Peak, the only thing you could pick out from the dark, dense layer of inversion was the surrounding mountain tops, which was a rather incredible panorama of mountain magnificence.

The remainder of the race is a blur to me, from a slip-sliding descent down Pigeon Road back to the Start/Finish Line to the endless struggle of competition that envelopes me during the last 10 miles of any race. Reynolds Creek Canyon was as splendid as always. I pushed through the aid stations in a flash, only pausing to drink a glass of water here, a handful of M&Ms there. Hard sprint to the finish, and it was over before I knew it. 6:17, 12th, OA, 2nd AG, and a solid 49 minute improvement over last year.

Pickled Feet Ultrarunning does a fine job with its events. I will continue to test my endurance, whether that be over a long run, or an uncomfortable climate. I can now say I’ve raced in conditions spanning 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which I’m quite proud of. Next up, a marathon PR at the National Guard Marathon in Lincoln, NE the first weekend of May.

Late in the race, approx. 26 miles or so. Thanks for the pics Antonio.

Miles, Music, and Babies

bloodyben — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 03:11:47 +0000

Ethan gets a bath. Blackmail for 16 years down the road. Hehe.

It seems that I can’t get more than 5 minutes to myself with homework, “training,” composing, working, and being daddy. Juggling the 5 priorities are exacting their toll on my Keurig coffee machine and Walmart’s coffee supply. I’m barely getting 60 miles a month in right now, but when I do, it’s doing stuff like this or this. IN OTHER NEWS, my Senior Recital is coming up. November 20th 7:30 PM, at the NNU Little Theatre. I will be playing the Nino Rota Trombone Concerto. And THAT, is the only piece on the concert I DIDN’T write. I have a splendid concert band put together to play my contemporary works (some of which, could be inspired by my favorite weekend activities). I hope you all decide to come and pack the place, because preparing has caused me to lose half my hair (as well as the effects of caffeine on my wrecked senior year body). Ok, I know why you all are here. Pictures of BAB-IES. Well, there you go.

Our new baby

bloodyben — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 18:18:44 +0000

We went in Tuesday morning for a checkup, to find that the doctor (Dr. Timothy West) wanted to induce the baby, with Heidi’s kidneys saying “enough!” So, we went in bright and early Wednesday morning, 6 AM, to start the inducement. Labor was very hard, and I decided to get Heidi to take an epidural. She did, and the rest of the day was peaceful. We got naps in, and around 2 pm it became apparent it was time to deliver. Heidi only had to push for 30 minutes before Ethan was born. He doesn’t weigh a whole lot, but is very healthy. Some pictures below:

Grandmothers in anticipation

It’s cold out here!

Blackmail for later years

First time with momma’s chest.

The whole family (minus two mutts).

All I have to do is be cute?!

There is nothing more beautiful than this in the world. Anywhere.

Summer enroute

bloodyben — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:49:52 +0000

It’s hard to think it’s been a few months since I lasted posted on here, but I’ve been very busy. Jeremy Humphrey and I have been planning away at the transformation of Wild Idaho 100 into the super-scenic IMTUF 100. I’ve been chiseling away at what seems to be this decade-long process of a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Northwest Nazarene University. Heidi and I have been watching her belly grow larger and larger, with a little guy named Ethan James who is going to come visit us in June.

The running front has been good too. I had a good little “training run” (~73 miles) at the Pickled Feet 24 Hour at the end of March. Since January, I’ve been hitting the track for speedwork every week, and have set several new PRs for the 400m (:74), 800m (2:42), mile (5:28 track), 5k (19:22), 4 mi (24:46), and 10 mile in hopes of running a sub 3 hour marathon at the National Guard Marathon May 6th. The training is going solid, all I can hope for is a perfect race day.

I’ve got summer school, hopefully I can find a little work along the side, the purely insane Millwood 100 July 5thish, and hopefully some good old mountain running before the fall semester.

A little music for ya:

New Bundle of Joy on the Way

bloodyben — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:08:43 +0000

As many of you know, Heidi and I are expecting our first child (June 17th). Here are a few pictures of the cute little thing as it develops either into a modern day Mozart or the next Yiannis Kouros.

Wild Idaho Endurance Runs

bloodyben — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:35:51 +0000

Without a break, it seemed, from last year’s event, we arrived back at Boiling Springs Campground for the 2nd annual Wild Idaho Endurance Runs. As well as continuing the 50 mile and 50 kilometer races, we added a truly monstrous 100 mile race, with over 31,000 ft of climb. The 100 miler started August 5th at 6 PM, with a cushy 40 hour cutoff. The 50 mile and 50 kilometer races started the following morning at 6 AM. Leading the 100 mile race was Wayne Rancourt of Boise, ID and Mike James of Billings, MT through mile 23. Rancourt took off after that, never looking back. He has done quite well at numerous events, and was the pre-race favorite for the win. Whenever he passed through the aid stations, many volunteers commented on how good he looked-which I found incredible considering the brutality of the course. He won in 27:41, with 2nd & 3rd finishing together several hours later. The 50 mile and 50 kilometer races looked to be quite exciting, with almost double our numbers from last year. Hugo Martinez of Caldwell, ID won the 50K in a time of 6:30:15, with Jeremy Humphrey of McCall, ID breaking the course record for the 50 mile by 100 minutes-9:37:21! He had no contest, despite international entrant Martin Chinchilla Gioia from Chile and last year’s winner Tony Huff being in the pack as well.

The course was hot and tough and proved to be a nemesis for all. with many people finishing the 50 mile in the 17 hour range, Wild Idaho has proved itself to be a worth opponent to all who dare challenge it. The extreme change in altitude as well as the hot August heat are taxing on everyone who wishes to tackle the course. If you are looking for the challenge that will suck you dry, this is the one. Come earn your Louisville Slugger next year!