2014 By The Numbers

And so with the last post of 2014 here goes the traditional by the numbers post, 5th Annual.

Officiating
Well after 10 years it finally happened. I have stopped officiating. Last season the winter of 2013-14 I only officiated 2 wrestling tournaments. Probably about 45 matches. This season nada, I have officially retired from officiating or at least on hiatus.I have other things going on and being yelled at by parents, as much as I love it, has lost its luster. So for now I will just sit in the stands or my living room and second guess the officiating like everyone else.

Running
I hit 2000 miles exactly of movement this year. Most of that was running, some was rucking, or bicycling, or walking. 299 less miles of movement this year but I was down for 3 months with that dang Achilles injury. That seems to be clearing up and I am currently training for my next 100 mile race. I also joined a Crossfit gym so I can finally do the cross training I kept talking about doing.

Races
I ran 20 races this year. 2 less than last year but more varied. Some of the highlights:
1-100 mile DNF ( the scenery was outstanding)
1-100K
4-50K
3-Marathons ( 1 as pace group leader)
1-Cyclocross race ( this was fun and muddy)
3- Races ran with a 3X5 US Flag. 1 marathon, 2 5K

EMS
More than ever I am deeply involved in pre hospital medicine. I graduated the Paramedic program earlier this year and was certified as a Nationally Registered Paramedic.
3- Number of ambulance services I work for "part time".

Random Numbers
Years since joining the US Army-32
Years since Army Retirement-10
Years since Ranger School- 26
Years since SF Q Course- 24
Birthdays-51
Anniversaries-27

I connected with 2 old friends this year and we had a couple long talks catching up.

Well there is probably more but I am done. 2014 was a good year. Here is to 2015!

Throwback Tuesday

I was looking back through my blog as it enters its 5th year. I have posted some good and some bad stuff. Here are posts from the last 4 Decembers that I feel are still good reads:

2010- So This is Christmas?

2011- How do I feel?

2012- Is it Just Me?

2013-Paramedic Update

Here's to another year of blogging

Ultra Runner of the Year

Allow me to geek out for a second. During my normal long run this Saturday I was listening to a podcast as I often do. The discussion was about voting for Ultra Runner of the Year. The discussion centered around this, what qualifies you as Ultra Runner of the Year? The Mountain, Trail and Ultra (MUT) community is so varied how do you decide?

Here is part of the dilemma, suppose you have an athlete that has won 4 50K races and a 50 mile race against stiff elite competition and you have another athlete that has dominated the 100 mile distance winning 3 of the biggest 100 mile events also against stiff competition. In the only head to head match up the first competitor crushed the second however the first has never run the 100 mile distance. So who is the best?

It really goes to your philosophy of what an ultra runner is. Personally I vote for athlete #2 as to me the 100 mile distance is the gold standard of ultrarunning. Pretty much any marathoner can complete a 50k and 50 miles is also not a huge stretch. But 100 miles.. well things happen in 100 miles that just don't happen in the other races. I think an Ultra runner ought to be doing ultra things.

Also the voting doesn't include any Europeans. Ultrarunner of the Year ought to include the entire field shouldn't it? I mean Killian Jornet is so head and shoulders above every other MUT runner he is in a class by himself. The dude runs up ladders for gods sake!



In the only North American race he ran this year, the Hardrock 100, He beat the course record and seemed to be lolygagging to do it. But he is European and has spent most of his year doing  Fastest Known Times (FKT) ascents of different mountain summits. But what about other Euros? So I am a Killian Fanboy but he is probably not UROY. I would vote him the best all around Mountain Athlete of his generation however.

It is just so confusing. What about stage races? Are they Ultras? This looks pretty Ultra to me.



Anyway it was a rousing discussion and I am excited to see who wins.

Red Herring

I was doing my normal lunch run today and a random memory came to mind. I thought I would write it down.

In 1993 I was a  young SSG on my first Special Forces ODA. I was on ODA 085 B Company 3rd Battalion 10th SFG(A)Fort Devens Mass. It was winter and my ODA was conducting our annual ski training at Cannon Mountain New Hampshire. We spent our days skiing and taking instruction and nights bunking at a Boy Scout camp, drinking beer and bullshitting. What a way to serve your country!!

My team was colocated with a sister team 081. We shared the same cabin and after hours we all kind of hung out together. One night after most guys had hit the rack, Myself, my teammate Jimmy Mac and two guys from the other team Jeff and Mike were up talking and drinking the last bit of Apfelkorn. Apfelkorn is a German apple schapps and is pretty potent. Jeff was from Alaska and while we were drinking he was munching on some smoked herring that he said was from his home state. Not being a fish eater it smelled pretty nasty to me although he swore it was delicious.

As we continued to talk Jeff and Mike got the idea that they needed to "share" this fishy loveliness with their Team Leader. Team Leaders in SF are Captains but despite that they are generally the least operationally experienced members of the team. Unfortunately once they do become experienced they are wisked off to a staff job somewhere and they are never on a team again. They only return to an operational position when and if they become a Company Commander. So many of the good officers are looked down on because they want to remain at the team level. The end result of this is that the enlisted guys spend years on the teams and they constantly harrass new team leaders until that team leader earns their respect.

Jeff and Mike called their team leader " Little Buddy" and they constantly tormented him. He took it all in good humor because what else could he do about it? Well anyway these two thought it would be nice if they put smoked herring in every orifice of Little Buddies gear and clothing. They even put some in his wallet. We all had a good laugh at their little joke and we went to bed. So the next day I had forgotten all about this little prank. About noon I was getting on the ski lift for another run and Little Buddy skis up and sits down beside me. On the ride up the mountain he tells me how he has been finding fish in his gear all day. He has searched all over but he can still smell it. He asked me if I knew anything about it. I was thinking " Did you check your wallet?" But I denied knowledge of any activity. Deny, Deny, Deny and make counter accusations. All the poor guy could do was look at me, shake his head and say " THOSE FUCKING GUYS!!" I laughed all the way up the mountain.

Nov Race recap- Beverly Trail Run/Living History Farms Off Road Race/Survivor Cross/Chilly Chili Extreme 5K

I have been remiss in my race reporting. It just seems like I say the same things over and over. So let me briefly recap each race I have run in the last few weeks

Beverly Park Trail Run-Snowy,local and fun. I wore my yaktrax extremes and I am glad I did. Took some Go Pro video which I will post later. Good times

Results

Living History Farms Off Road Race- My first running of this. It was fun and crazy. Lots of runners and mud and costumes and water crossings. I ran steady but not too hard. I will run it again

Results



SurvivorCross_ This was a cyclocross race that was held on the same course as the LHF race about 2 hours later. I registered on a whim, not having ridden a bike race in a few years. it was the most fun I have had in awhile. Muddy and same water crossings. Much harder on a bike. And trying to get that bike up some of those hills GOOD LORD!!!! Also good times!!

Results

Post by Survivor Cross.

addendum- Chilly Chili Extreme 5K

Late addition to this race report. After I posted about the other races I ran this race on a whim. I had raced it 2 years ago and it was fun. I like this race because it is small. This year about 20 folks. And the extreme part is because there is no trail or road. You literally just run through the woods,ditches, fields, creeks, md etc. This year he course was a little longer (almost 4 miles) and there was a lot more water. We had to cross two waist to chest deep streams at an ambient air temperature of about 38 degrees. Was a great muddy,wet and muddy race. I came in about 6-7 minutes slower than my previous running of this race due to the longer length and being a less fit than 2 years ago. However good news was I still came in 4th place just like 2 years ago. And I won my age group due to the magic of birthdays. Good race I will do it again.

Wildcat 50K/ No Coast Trail Series

Started out to run 50 miles but called it a day at 50K. Still good enough for 2nd in the NCTS Masters Division.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/tg1pXoku2ZZpucIHwyWcFwg/htmlview?pli=1

Vietnam

I was talking to one of our salesman at work today. He was in my office where on the walls I have a few  pictures and memorabilia of my time in service. He mentioned he had been in for 19 months, 13 of which he spent as a medic in Vietnam. We talked and laughed about some common Army things that span the generations. I mentioned I was involved in a Veterans Service Organization called Team Red White and Blue. I explained our mission and then he said something that makes me sad. He told me when he got back from Vietnam he tried to join the VFW and they wouldn't let him because Vietnam was not a "real" war. He was treated poorly by the very people that should have embraced him..other veterans. Recently the National Commander of the VFW sent out this letter.

VFW NATIONAL COMMANDER PUTS POSTS ON NOTICE

Below is a message from VFW National Commander John W. Stroud:

I am extremely disturbed by the recurring reports from the field as well as the media’s portrayal of the VFW as an organization that is comprised of old and out of touch veterans who would rather drink in a dimly lit canteen than open their doors to our younger veterans. The VFW’s mission is far too important; our objectives and causes for which we work far too critical; and the current situation of the veteran population far too dire to let the negativity of a few divide us and dilute our efforts. We must empower the younger veterans to be forces of change within our organization while lending them the institutional knowledge to be effective leaders for future generations of veterans.

The fact remains that the stereotypical, dingy, dark and smoke filled VFW Post and canteen do exist, but they have no benefit to our organization, provide no aid to our mission nor to the veterans we strive to help and serve. These Posts are in the minority of our organization, but in order to shift the paradigm we must challenge every member to hold their Post accountable. It’s time for our membership to be emboldened into action and to push their Posts to strive for the high ideals that the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States was founded upon.

Accordingly, I am charging my current Department VFW Commanders to be advocates of change and to challenge the officers of the subordinate units within their command to be more than officers —  challenge them to be leaders cognizant of the current challenges today’s veterans face. To do this, our VFW Posts must change their operational tactics to better reflect the modern crises younger veterans are facing on their new “battlefield” – the homefront.

For those members and Posts who would rather serve themselves than the countless veterans who are in need, remind them that this organization exists for the benefit of all veterans rather than those of an entitled few. I want to make it clear that I will willingly provide my complete support to any of my Department Commanders who move to shut down any Post, or remove from our leadership rolls, anyone that is not committed to the goals of the organization.  They simply don’t belong here. The need is too great for a dynamic and modern VFW that can continue to advocate and respond unhesitatingly to the needs of all veterans in the 21st century and beyond.  To do less, would be an unconscionable betrayal of our responsibilities as Americans and as veterans.

John W. Stroud

VFW National Commander

I am a life member of the VFW but I no longer attend my local meetings because I too found this propensity to talk and not act. Surprisingly the very veterans, Vietnam Veterans, that were snubbed are now the majority members and hold most of the leadership positions. Let us hope Commander Stroud is successful in his endeavor to welcome our younger veterans. Every VSO needs to evolve to stay engaged and relevant. To any veteran that was ever ignored or made to feel their service was not valued or somehow less than anothers I say Thank You For Your Service!

Des Moines Marathon

Forgot to post my race report. Ran this race again on 19 October right around 5:07.  4th(?) time running this marathon and first time running the entire way with a 3X5 foot US flag. I ran this to raise awareness for Team RWB with another Chapter Captain. We had a large Team RWB turnout. Check out the website www.teamrwb.org 

Hitler reacts to being questioned about his SF service

 I made this video last week after a gun shop employee and National Guardsman interrogated me over some patches on my range bag. Douche of the Week

Running with a younger me

I was running some of my favorite local trails the other day while listening to one of my favorite trailrunning podcasts. The topic was "if you could run trails with anyone who would it be?" Lots of typical comments like running with relatives or famous folks. Then one of the hosts said "I would like to run with a younger self from 10 years ago." I pondered on that for the rest of the run.

10 years ago I was still in the military and had just recently ran my first marathon. I was living in Colorado and getting ready to retire. I was running alot but mostly on roads and alone. If the me of now could run with the me of then I would tell myself this:

1. Run more trails. I lived in one of the most beautiful  mountain areas and I didn't experience it near enough. I regret that. I should run more trails
2. Run with more people. I was a solitary runner and why that has its place I run more socially now and that is much more fun.
3. Love your family.. We all love our families but in the last 10 years I have lost one of my Uncles and 2 Grandmothers. I hope they knew I loved them.
4. Take more pictures. People laugh at me know I take so many photos. But I want to remember.
5. Run an Ultra. I have run a lot of ultra marathons since 2009 I should have started earlier.

I hope I would have listened

Runner's Flat 50K

This race was the renamed Running Village 50K. It is a flat and fast course upon which I set my 50K PR last year. 

Some highlights: lots of TeamRWB folks there running either the 10 mile,20 mile or 50K

Team members Brant Tharp and Rob Wagner set 50K PR

Our own Ross Salinas ran down the 50K leader with only 4 miles left in an epic race. Although Ross came in second by less than a minute he also set a PR in an incredible 3 hours and 21 minutes.

I got to run 20 miles with a very inspirational lady Denise Whiting who won her age group.

My good friend JD came in 11th overall in his very first 50K

I had a successful race no cramping and no walking. I finished 30 minutes slower than last year but 1 hour 25 minutes faster than the 50K I ran just a few weeks ago. My time was 5 hours 38 minutes 32 seconds. 

Good day

Flaughless 5K and Quad Cities Marathon

Had a good race weekend. Saturday I participated in the Flaughless 5K, a race to benefit the Wounded Warrior Foundation. Myself and about 9 other folks rucked the race. I finished in 45:15 carrying a 35 lb rucksack, a 3X4 US flag and wearing combat boots.

The next morning I got up and drove to the Quad Cities to run the QC marathon. This was the 4 or 5th time I have run this marathon or marathon relay. This was also my 30th race of marathon distance or longer since 2004. I have blogged about this race so much I wont go into detail except to say there was an awesome group to Team RWB members at the race. I also finished 15 seconds faster than my goal finish time. I finished in 4:29:45. It was a good day. Here are some  pics.

Rockcut Hobo Runs Triple Crown

This past weekend I ran the Rockcut Hobo Runs Triple Crown. That is a night 10K Friday, followed by a 25K the next morning, followed by a 50K the next morning. I originally heard about these races when I ran Kettle Moraine 100 last year. It was a blast. Here are my results:

10K-57:35
25K-2:57:24 ( got a calf cramp at mile 2. That was fun)
50K-7:02:48 ( 3rd in age group also fun)

Here are pictures:

Obama salutes Marines with coffee cup in hand

I was going to write about a few other things today but then this.. This is an issue. And here is the issue. Respect. Respect for yourself as President of the United States of America, Respect as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and respect for those Marines that stand by the foot of your helicopter. Respect for every other Marine, Soldier, Sailor and Airman past, present and, future.



Some of my friends that have never been in the military think this is a non issue. I beg to differ this is an issue. Bigger issue than Russia invading the Ukraine? Bigger issue than ISIS threatening to strike our military members in their beds? No but an issue non the less. It is about respect.



When I was a private I was taught the proper way to salute. I was taught when and where it was appropriate. I was taught you never salute with anything in your hand. Never!! The salute supposedly started as a way for men at arms to show they had no ill will towards other combatants. Over the centuries it has developed to show respect.. that word again. Subordinates salute superiors and the salute is returned..mutual respect. Everyone salutes a Medal of Honor recipient and it is returned.. tons of respect. It was drilled into me over and over, you are not saluting the man you are saluting the rank/office. Show respect for the office.



The Commander in Chief saluting with a coffee cup in his hand just shows how wide the gap has gotten between our military and the civilian officials who are supposed to be guiding them. It shows a lack of basic understanding of the fabric upon which our military is based..respect.



He could have put it in the other hand and showed some...respect.

Throw Back: Thoughts on Germany

So I was looking threw my filing cabinet for some paperwork and came across several essays I had written in 2001 for my English Comp1 class. I thought I would share the one I wrote about Germany as it brought back some good memories.

Thoughts on Germany

Every morning I run through the German countryside and I notice how beautiful it is, and I think how much I will miss running here. With less than two weeks before I depart, possibly forever, I have been thinking about what I like and dislike about this country.

I like Germany because every street has individual recycling bins plainly marked for use.  This works because of the emphasis that is placed at the highest levels. Failure to recycle household trash results in a fairly substantial fine. Germany, as well as most of Europe, enforces these policies because they realize that they have finite resources and must conserve what they have. I wish the United States would adopt a similar recycling philosophy. 

I dislike Germany because German drivers are rude; they think going far makes them good drivers. Germans spend thousands of marks to go to driving school and get a driver's license. Unfortunately the first lesson they must receive is drive really fast and never let anyone ahead of you. German drivers will speed up to cut you off, so they can exit the autobahn ahead of you, instead of merely slipping in behind you like a courteous driver would. Merging is a subject definitely not covered in German driving schools. Asking a German to merge smoothly is like asking a leopard to change his spots. It all goes back to the German driving law number one: never let anyone ahead of you. So instead of a smooth traffic flow at on ramps or lane changes, what you usually get is a traffic jam, with everyone trying to beat everyone else. Traffic jams happen for no apparent reason. Traffic will be be backed up for miles, crawling along at a snail's pace, and then at some arbitrary spot, apparently chosen by the god of the autobahn, everyone just speeds up. "Stau" is the first German word my daughter learned.

I like Germany because Germany has a very sophisticated public transportation and walking trail system. The walking trails are highly utilized, as nature walking is practically a national obsession. I can go out my front door and walk or run as far as I want, without ever worrying about traffic. Literally hundreds use these trails to wander form village to village, leisurely strolling through field and forest. During the winter months many of these trails are used for cross-country skiing.  The busses and trains are clean, on time, and fairly inexpensive. With enough time and money you can travel to any country in Europe, using public transport. Once again this works because of top down support and the willingness of the public to embrace something that may be in the interest of the greater good. 

I dislike Germany because Germans have not, for the most part, discovered that great invention called the elevator. To get anywhere you have to climb the stairs. Because space is at a premium most buildings are at least 2 to 3 stories tall. That adds up to hundreds of flights of stairs throughout the country. Climbing four flights of stairs to your apartment, carrying groceries or doing laundry gets old real quick. This is why older German ladies have huge thighs.

I like Germany because Germans have well-trained dogs. They love their pets and treat them like children; it is rare to see a dog on a leash in this country. Most dogs are trained to voice command. By law, they must muzzle certain breeds identified as aggressive.  It is not often that a dog will lunge at anyone or so much as bark at a passing jogger.

I dislike Germany because Germans have 1001 ways to flush toilet. It becomes a game upon entering a restroom for the first time. How do I flush? Do I push this, pull that, break this beam, step on this? They also have this little ledge conveniently located just above the hole in the toilet bowl. What is that all about? Any business done, just sits there until you figure out how to flush the toilet. Maybe I am supposed to check for bugs or something, I don't know.

I like Germany because German food is always served very hot and in mass quantities. Germans use Krauterbutter on steaks. It makes the meat very tender and tastes great. They also make the best french fries (pommes frittes) in the world and they use them liberally. If you go hungry in Germany, it is probably because you are picky.

I dislike Germany because Germans have to worry about " Mad Cow" disease. I feel like I can't get a "Big Mac" at the local McDonalds without risking my life. Thousands of cows in Bavaria were bought by the German government and slaughtered to try and stop the spread of this disease. I still worry every time I eat any beef, even if it says it came from the USA.

I like Germay because German beer has a well-deserved reputation as the best in the world. Beer purity laws were passed as early as the 1600's. Germans love their beer, and every small village and large town seems to have its own brewery. Towns separated by as few as 2 miles may sell a totally different local brew. Lager, Pilsner, Weissbiere, Dunkel Weiss, Helles are just a few styles of beer available to tempt the palate. There is no social stigma attached to having a beer with your lunch, even during a workday.

I dislike Germany because Germans just don't get it when it comes to fast food. If you get food to go, the bag cost extra. If you get it to eat in, they give you real silverware to eat with. They charge you extra for ketchup packets and they don't put ice in the soft drink. Somebody should do a seminar on what the word fast means. Fast food here is not very fast.

I like Germany because Germans love a good party. Big street carnivals and fests are held at the drop of a hat. There is Oktoberfest, Bad Cannstadtfest, Fruehlings(Spring)fest to name a few. These fests have big-striped tents with long tables running the length of them. Waitresses walk between tables selling 1 liter Maases (mugs) of beer. There are rides and games for kids. Wurst, schnitzel, and pommes frittes are sold in great quantities.  Songs are sung and accordions played. Sparklers, roman candles, and professional fireworks accompany every major holiday or fest.

So as I prepare to depart, I am going to miss Germany. I am going to miss the bakeries, Ritter sport candies, Mezzo mix, and coordinated motorcycle outfits. I am going to miss castles, knodels, church bells and the mark rate. I am going to miss statues, fountains, Bavarian cow bells, and many other things unique to this country, but boy am I looking forward to eating at Taco Bell.

Just as a point of information I got a 95 on this essay. It is worth more to me know.

Evansdale to Robins FKT: The Execution

This is a run I have been wanting to do for a few years. It would be an estimated 50 mile route from Evansdale Iowa to Robins Iowa along the Cedar Valley nature trail. This is a rails to trails route so would be a mixture of pavement,gravel, and dirt with no more than a 2% grade. Easy huh? It would turn out to be more challenging than expected.

Woke up about 3 am to get in the car and take the ride north to my parents house. My friend JD had decided to accompany me on this adventure and it was probably good he did as attempting this solo in hindsight would have been a dangerous idea. Anyway we chewed down a a PBJ and made my way to the parents house. dropped off my car and my Mother gave us a ride the 60 miles north to the trail head. We arrived about 0500 and took off about 0515. At start time it was dark,foggy and cool, perfect running weather. The first 12 miles of the trail was paved so we ran easy but still managed a 10:30 per mile pace. We were both using Salomon S-lab 12 vests and I was wearing my new Hoka Cliftons. We talked and concentrated on the little tunnels of light our headlamps made. After about an hour the sun came up and the headlights got stashed. This was to be an unsupported effort so we were carrying all our nutrition and supplies in our vests. We were still well hydrated at this point so when we stopped to use the woodline we also walked a bit. So these natural breaks worked well in this first section.

The first small town we hit was Laporte City where we stopped at a small city park to use the restroom and fill up with water. This would be the pattern for the rest of the day. I estimated the next town was about 6 miles based on the map I had printed out. The map wasn't very detailed though and it also was starting to get wet from all my sweat. You forget the small things after not running an ultra for awhile,small things like putting your map in a plastic bag! We headed down the trail. Shortly after Laporte the trail changed to dirt. This was my favorite section as it was shaded and secluded almost like a trail run in the woods. This even though we were essentially running through cornfields and pasture. The trees along the trail blocked the sun and our view of the open country. Eventually we hit the next town of Brandon (Home of the worlds largest frying pan). Once again we filled up with water at a small park and rearranged some nutrition.

Taking off the trail started opening up. Shade got less and less and the sun got hotter and hotter. Now we were in open country. We were still running at about an 11:00-11:30 pace but the sun was taking its toll. We saw more more people as the trail started south and the day was getting farther along. We or I specifically estimated this section would be another 6 miles. I was wrong as it turned out to be a little over 10 miles. We were totally out of water when we hit the town of Urbana. We tried to stop at. City Hall but no luck getting any there. Luckily there was another park alittle bit down the trail and we spent probably 30 minutes filling up on water and cooling down. Onward to the next town.

Humidity and heat dominated the next section. We actually started employing a run/walk strategy at this point. Due to the unvarying terrain our feet,knees,and hips were taking a pounding on the fairly hard packed trail. Walking helped relieve some of that pain. I had some hip,calf, and knee pain that was migrating around randomly. JD mentioned some pain in his hip flexors. Eventually we arrived at Center Point. We were about 10 miles from our destination but this would be the beginning of the end. We refilled up with water at an old railroad depot building and JD mentioned he was concerned because he hadn't urinated in quite awhile. Once we headed off we were pretty stiff. We continued the walk/ run strategy but the running was getting slower and shorter in duration. I was having some good aches and pains and JD was experiencing foot cramps. But we pushed on. 

Approximately mile 41 the trail turned to blacktop. The heat radiating off this surface was brutal. Shortly after that JD, although running well, actually stronger than I was at this point, mentioned he was feeling nauseous,tingly, and his vision was blurring. This was not good as he started experiencing a significant bonk which could have been heat related or due to the lack of nutrition in the last few miles. We had basically run out of supplies between Urbana and Center Point and were running on fumes. We walked for about a mile to the next road/trail intersection and called for exfil. If this was a race potentially we could have rested at an aid station and continued the last 8 miles. However we had no aid station,no supplies and limited water. It was the smart thing to call it a day. We finished 42 miles in 9:45 hours. We also accomplished what I had intended. Bottom line I wanted to test my limits and push the boundary. We did that and it will be a great memory.