Team Iron Andy Takes 1st Place!

Team Iron Andy (Jason and I) competed in the 24hrs of Boulder race this past weekend. We worked as a two-man team in the 12hr division. Being an ultrarunner, I thought this would be easy for us...especially considering the rest breaks! Well it wasn't.

The race started at 9am and ended at 9pm. That provided 12 hours for which to accumulate as much mileage as possible. Each lap was about 7.1 miles. We decided to run laps, one after another. Each lap, we estimated, would take just under an hour. That would give us an hour of 'recovery' before having to run again. Well, having never done that before, we ran at a much higher pace from the beginning of the event. Averaging 7:30/mi becomes increasingly difficult when you pretend that your 'recovered' and attempt to do it over and over again. Gradually, our pace slipped. The running became just as painful as any ultramarathon.

Fortunately, no other relay teams were within

reach of our accumulated mileage. We were able to run more miles than every other 2-man team and also a few 5-man relay teams as well. Team Iron Andy takes 1st place!

Ken Forest, a close friend, provided crew support throughout the day. Ken was awesome and became more of a crutch as the hours and miles began taking their toll on our bodies. We spent much of the day trying to recruit him for full-time crew support at Run the Coast. When the clock ran out, we had run 78.5 miles as a team.

It was our first chance to compete publicly as 'Team Iron Andy'. Everything we do, including races such as this, are meant to prepare us for Run the Coast next year. We proudly wore our new Team Iron Andy uniforms. We hope you will become involved or support our efforts. It is with great pride that we share our adventures. We are proud to be supporting those with diabetes by asking for donations, on our behalf, to the Iron Andy Foundation.

See you on the trail!

-Jerry

For more information, visit Iron Andy Foundation

Run the Coast: 500 miles for Juvenile Diabetes

Run the Coast?

So what's this all about Jerry?

Well...let me explain in a little more detail.

I became interested in an urban point to point run when a Facebook friend, Christrian Griffith, starting loosely organizing "Run Across Georgia". Upon his announcement to host such an event in April 2010, I immediately joined the FB group and told him I was interested. Then I became jaded by the idea due to the Colorado winter and significant difficulty in preparing for such an event through the Colorado snow. And, even though I started to give up on running across Georgia, I remained interested in such an event.

Next, I met Andy Holder "Iron Andy" at Ironman Louisville. "Iron Andy", as he's known, started the "Iron Andy Foundation" after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in his late 30s. Diabetes had always been my target for charity work....and Andy's foundation seemed to be the perfect fit for my efforts. At the time, I had no specific charity for which to support. My personal connection to diabetes is, of course, my wife Jenifer (a type 1 diabetic) and several of my family members who also have diabetes. Just this past summer, my older brother Jeff was also diagnosed with diabetes.

Andy I and I spoke briefly about ultramarathon and my interest in helping his foundation. We then spoke again several weeks after Ironman Louisville. This time, I had an idea for supporting the Iron Andy Foundation. How about a 500 mile run?

The idea of a 500 mile run came from a disussion I had with my training partner, Jason Chilson. Jason was new to ultrarunning at the time and I had been working with him on developing his endurance skills. So, I threw the idea to Andy and he showed interest in the idea. It seemed that the run provided some framework for which to promote the Iron Andy Foundation, raise money for juvenile diabetes, and inspire people to live a healthy lifestyle. Within a week, Jason and I had come up with "Run the Coast".

With over 12 months left to prepare and train for Run The Coast, we are moving forward with enthusiasm and high hopes. This basic idea is this:

Jason and I will start our run from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We will run/walk 40-50 miles per day, moving down the coastline of California.

Along our route, we will allow fellow distance runners to join us. We anticipate a few die-hard runners, that will put in longer mileage......100-200 miles. For the most part, however, I expect fellow runners to spend the day or half a day running 25-50 miles. And, I also would enjoy having people join us for just a few miles as well. For us, it does not matter whether someone wants to run all day or not.....just that we have other runners out there with us, having run, and supporting the Iron Andy Foundation. And for what it's worth...our running pace will likely be much slower than those that are joining us!

Non-runners can also help us. I anticipate needing about 12 volunteer coordinators, who can assist with communication and organizing aid stations. I will keep the coordination close to my friends and family......and ask those closest to me for assistance. Having said that, I would greatly appreciate anyone's interest in helping us....whether it be for a day, week, or two weeks. This run is about having fun and helping support kids with diabetes. This run WILL do great things.....so I believe it is a worthy cause for which to spend your time and/or money. Please send me a direct email if you wish to be an area coordinator, volunteer, crew member, etc... And thank you in advance for offering your time. endurancejer@gmail.com

Over the next 6 months or so, we will be working on finding corporate sponsors and developing communication infrastructure for Run the Coast. The exact route, dates, and stop-off locations are yet to be determined. Unfortunately, this is not an event which can be off-the-cuff. We have to plan and organize.....and it will take AT LEAST the full year to do so. For now, we will be sending out most information through our Facebook Group "Run The Coast".

We hope you can join us next year for Run The Coast!

-Jerry

24hr Kida Relay-Solo

I returned from Utah last week after competing in the inaugural "24hr Kida Relay" as a solo athlete. One other entrant, Matt Ward from Utah, competed for the entire 24hrs...although we weren't really 'competing' as much as supporting one another.

The field was primarily teams of 4, both male and female teams, as well as mixed. The race was well organized and held in an incredible location. First-time RD 'Heath Thurston' of Utah designed the race as a fund raiser for 'Kids in Motion', which is a nonprofit group that supports families of children with cerebral palsy. "Kida" is Heath's daughter's name and she has a mild form of cerebral palsy. Treatment and care for these children can be very expensive for families, so this organization provides an invaluable service to the community. (donations can be made through the race website: www.kidarelay.com )

The race started on Friday, May 14th at 8am. For the following 12hrs, we did repeat loops of 25 miles around 'West Mountain.' It provided a scenic route with few cars.

(view southeast from race headquarters)

(a sunset photo taken from the run course)

Matt and I took the liberty of using a crew vehicle and/or bike pacer for some of the ride. The relay teams were strong cyclists, ironman competitors, and short-course triathletes. They maintained a strong competitive pace throughout the day. Race headquarters kept stats and posted the competition results throughout the day.

At 8pm, we all switched to running repeat 6 mile laps on an out-and-back course along a lonely stretch of roadway that paralleled Utah Lake. At dawn, wildlife was everywhere and the stillness was awesome.

Matt Ward beat me in the solo division, putting up 175 miles in the roadbike course and 42 miles in the run. I was satisfied with my 2nd place 150 miles roadbike, 36 miles run.

Relay teams remained competitive throughout the night and everyone was exhausted at the 8am award ceremony.

I put edited a short video about my race and I am creating a second video, which will highlight Kida and the other athletes. Here is the video I created, showing some of the beauty the course had to offer:

Video of 24hr Kida Relay Solo-

Jerry Armstrong, Team E.R.F.

If you're looking for a unique and difficult ultra challenge.......check out http://www.kidarelay.com/ and sign up for next year's event. And if you are more interested in keeping it fast and having fun with friends, sign up as a team. Remember, there's a $500 prize purse for winning teams! Stay strong.......have fun.

-jerry

Latest Training Technology-iPhone RunKeeper

Fellow endurance athletes listen up! A simple application on the iPhone called "Run Keeper Pro" will make the iPhone worth purchasing by itself.

I bought my iPhone last week and quickly learned that is was much more than just a phone. It's a personal assistant, computer, entertainment device, and much more. But wait......what's this Run Keeper program? Holy smokes......no way!

I downloaded Run Keeper Pro for a one-time fee of $9.99. The download/install took less than a minute. Later that day, I was preparing to head out on a short run to test out my new toy. I started the Run Keeper application and............

I began receiving audible information from a female voice through my headphones. The voice provided information including pace, average speed, distance, and duration. I was simultaneously listening to mp3 music on the same device, but the voice clearly told me the info I needed. There was no need to look at the device, which was awesome.

The Run Keeper Pro application uses the phone's internal GPS to calculate information. Of course, like all GPS, it needs an outdoor signal. But, I found the accuracy to be as good or better than the Garmin series watches we all use.

I was excited to discover this toy within a toy..........and I think you will to.

I share this mainly for those of you that carry a standard cell phone and, like me, had no idea that iPhones came with this capability. As an endurance athlete, I found this one application to make the phone almost worth the price by itself.

Using Run Keeper Pro on iPhone will work great for shorter runs, less than 3 hours. Like other portable devices, it has battery limitations. The Garmin 201/301 watches will track the same information, but last as long as 8 or 10 hours. (Also, if you're a trail runner, you must be weary of the expensive computer in your pocket so you don't drop it in the river.)

Other than batter life or fragility in adverse weather, I find no drawbacks to using the Run Keeper application on all runs.

Another sweet feature for runners is the added microphone in the headphones. If someone calls you while you're running and listening to music.......you simply press the 'answer' button and talk hands-free. When the phone call is done, you end the call and the music comes back on automatically.

Run Keeper information can also be uploaded and maniupated to provide mapping and analysis. Until now, this was something that only Garmin was doing with relative ease.

If you want to learn more, google iPhone Run Keeper. I found most of the user reviews to be positive. You should also know that the application can be adjusted for hiking and cycling as well.

I don't mean this to be an all-inclusive review of the Run Keeper Pro application. I merely wanted to share my excitement over this application for those of you that didn't know it existed....like I was just last week.

Run long, stay strong.

Jerry

Yoga

So I've been experimenting with yoga...

I think yoga can be extremely beneficial to endurance athletes and that's why I thought I'd share...

About a year ago, my good friend Lorraine talked me into some 'Bikram yoga' classes. At the time, I was purely motivated by the idea of heat training in preparation of crew support at Badwater. I also thought it would help my flexibility. Looking back, I enjoyed the classes and wish I had continued training in yoga techniques.

I went to about 4 Bikram yoga sessions. They were extremely intense and difficult. The room was heated to about 120 degrees and extremely humid. I always took fluids and the instructor had a problem with that. Each pose was difficult, primarily because of the intensity of heat and humidity. Of course, I'm attracted to challenges and I left each session planning to improve on my next visit. (I also didn't mind the motivation provided by the many spandex-wearing ladies around me.) At Badwater, I enjoyed the air conditioning of the car as a crew support member and shut the proverbial book on my yoga experience...until now.

Flexibility has always been a challenge for me. I was blessed with a stiff and inflexible body. It never prevented me from athletics and even may have helped in wrestling. Although, when I started endurance sports....I think my inflexibility became something of an obstacle. I've suffered from many over training injuries and in recovery from each, I came to learn that stretching and flexibility may have helped prevent my diagnosis. Swimming, cycling, and running require muscles to break down, rebuild, and therefore....become less flexible. If you want to see a tight quadricep, take a look at an ultrarunner. This was pointed out to me by my last physical therapist when she was trying to fix my IT band. Our legs are stiff, strong, and inflexible....and if we don't work at lengthening those muscle fibers, we might as well prepare for injury...because something has to give.

So, in an effort to improve and avoid repeating mistakes...I recently started doing yoga training at home. I've been recording a television program called, "Namaste Yoga". I'm not sure if the show is available outside of Colorado but I do think it has been produced well. I don't think it's necessary to attend yoga classes if you have access to a quality yoga video and the interior space to do the movements and poses.

To those that refuse to include yoga in their training, I urge you to reconsider. Yoga is thousands of years old. It has deep, rich history. I believe that 'attempting' to do the poses and breathe as instructed, can help your flexibility and mental focus. I have begun realizing the positive effects of yoga in my training. In just a few weeks of doing yoga at home, my flexibility has improved in my shoulders and lower back. Because the poses are often similar, I recognize my improvement in holding poses that were impossible when I first started.

Endurance sports are special because they often require athletes to tap into something deeper than the surface-level physical exertion. Incorporating mental strength and meditation techniques allow the average athlete to go further than they thought possible. And ultra endurance athletes have already already proven, by way of their chosen sport, that they choose challenge and discomfort as a means to learn about inner strength. If you really think about why we do these sports...you will probably conclude that it is about realizing individual potential and self-improvement. Besides the physical......one must consider the intangible power of the mind.

When we run for 5, 10, or 20+ hours...we are using meditation. Our physical accomplishments are completed by the power of the mind...not the body. Because of this, the benefits of yoga are obvious, in my opinion. Yiannis Kouros, the hands-down, best ultrarunner of all time said in an interview that if his records were ever broken, it would not be an American. His reasoning? American athletes do not engage the meditative, spiritual, and mental potential of their potential. Kouros predicts that only a runner from Asia would be capable of beating him because culturally, they use the power of the mind to overcome physical limitations. Kouros believes he is capable of extreme ultra endurance feats, because of his mind power.....not his body.

Speaking from a beginner point-of-view....I can say that practicing yoga does not immediately provide obvious benefits. It is with continued, and repeated effort that you will begin to realize how beneficial it is to your health and performance. I look forward to using yoga as a part of my training from now on. I am only disappointed in myself for not making this decision earlier.

Coach Jerry

Endurance Coaching

I recently linked up my blog with Facebook, which has been pretty cool. On a run last week, I came to realize that coaching and teaching really fulfillls me...

Although somewhat successful, I decided to stop trying to make a profit off from my coaching business, "Team ERF". I enjoyed teaching, coaching, and helping beginner athletes achieve their goals and realize their dreams. But, when I added the business element, something was lost. I was not fulfilled in accepting money from those that sought improvement.

I learned a lot from coaching, even if it was a loose format. And I realized last week that I want to offer my 'coaching' to all those that may need it. I'm strongly against coaching-for-business. I just want to put myself out there again because I know that I can be of service to so many friends and acquaintances.

Training/Topics related to:

-Running:trail/road/distance/ultra/race selection/goals/equipment/starting programs
-Hydration: pre/post/training/products/electrolyte tabs/equipment
-Nutrition: pre/post/for distance races/dietary concerns/vegan, vegetarian, etc..
-Cycling
-Swimming
-Endurance Training/Racing

I plan to blog pertinent training information each week, which will be of interest to hardcore endurance athletes, but also beginners. I also want to generate a dialog with those that are interested in the information. The conversation will be on Facebook and I will likely create a profile specifically for Coach Jerry or Team ERF. I may also create a group page for it.

I also want to say that I do not claim to be an "expert" on anything. In the past, if a question came up, I researched the answer and was able to learn something new for myself. Thankfully, I also maintain communication with true "experts" that support my knowledge.

With that said, Coach Jerry is open for business.

Hit me up on Facebook...or shoot me an email.

-Coach Jer

A Runner at Masters Swimming

When I started competing in triathlon 6 years ago, I considered the swim to be nothing more than something that provided a starting position for the 'real race'. As I increased the race distances and headed toward my first Ironman, I ignored proper swim training as well. I trained for swimming much like I would for an ultramarathon....long, slow, mileage.

Shortly thereafter, I met and became friends with Cindy Yankee (a two-time All American and high school swim coach). Cindy encouraged me to improve my swim stroke and we started training irregularly. Basically, I would apply myself to swimming when I was injured or not preparing for an ultra. Cindy knew my heart was with distance trail running but she still chipped away at my swim stroke and built a foundation that provided me better efficiency to this day.

To give you some idea of how my swimming compared to the others during a race...I submit this...

At Ironman Arizona 2006, I exited the water 1,050th. Since there are approximately 2,000 athletes in the event, I was basically right in the middle. I thew myself into the bike leg and began passing other athletes over the next 5 hours. I was only passed ONCE. I passed over 700 people on the bike leg. I then began the run and passed more. I climbed from that initial placement after the swim to about 316th.

One might argue that my cycling/running is strong. Well, I'm here to say that it was the weak swimming that makes it seem that way.

Two months ago, I finally decided to join masters swimming. I had read several times that masters swimming was the best way to improve. Looking back, I'm glad I did. Twice a week, I attend the coached swim training in Boulder. The swim training is consistent with other masters training groups in other states and cities around the U.S.

The coach placed me amongst other swimmers of approximately the same level. Each week, I show up ready for the daily workout. We usually start with a few laps for warm-up. The session is then presented and shown on dry erase boards. The pool is reserved for the hour, so we only have to organize from within the group. Each lane swims 'in circle', which means you swim the first length on the right, flip turn, and return on the left. By leaving the wall about 4-5 seconds apart, as many as 6 or 8 swimmers can use the lane simulaneously. The other athletes are friendly and supportive. It has a 'team' feel even though we are all training for something different.

Over the past couple months, I have seen my swimming strength improve. I don't become as winded during the 1hr workouts. On my own, I have done several 500yd time trials and realized about 30 seconds less for 500yds.

The advice I was given long ago is what I present to other aspiring triathletes....Focus your time and energy on your weakest sport. For me, that was swimming, but I am now looking forward to my first triathlon of the year when I can capitalize on this focused improvement. Also, remember that triathlon is a sport in and of itself. Do not consider triathlon to be three different sports........they transition and meld together. Combine your workouts and focus on the aspect of the sport that slows you down in races.

Enjoy the day.

Jerry