Endurance Racing Family

The Endurance Addiction

2009-12-20T14:21:00.001-08:00

I've been training and competing in ultra-endurance sports for about 5 years now. Looking back, I find it difficult to remember exactly when I became so passionate about these sports. When did it become the focus of my personal energy...when did it become the one thing I think about every night as I lay down to sleep? Why does it feel like a drug sometimes? A drug that is legal, addictive, and makes you better the more you use? Perhaps, if I share some of my thoughts with you, I will remind myself just what makes endurance sports so special to me and you might find some inspiration too...

As a child, growing up in San Diego, I played sports on a daily basis. Everything my brother Mike and I did was active. We played baseball and football...we rode bikes and went hiking. We slept outside the entire summer on the deck my dad built off of our bedrooms. Imagination was key in our world. We created adventures and carried them out. Basically, our adventures were limitless, exept for the fact that some require money and most times, we had to back by sundown.

In my teenage years, I was a wrestler and musician. I had boundless energy and never quit anything I started. Anything considered "legal fun" was good in my book. I felt, as long as I followed the rules, I could do whatever I wanted. I also reflected on many of my family members who's lives were clouded with alcohol, drugs, or other forms of addiction. And at a very young age, I acknowledged the fact that I too was probably hard-wired for some sort of addiction. But, I was also the rarity in that I actually learned from the mistakes of others. In doing so, I knew where to turn and what pitfalls to avoid. I also credit my parents with their guidance and careful selection of role models with which they influenced me.

And so, my adult life brought me great success at an early age and relative achievement compared to those of my own age. I bought a house and married my high school sweetheart. I chose a career as a police officer and started training "new cops" before I was 25 years old. Life was easy....maybe too easy. And, by the time I was the ripe old age of 26, I found myself with an abundance of time and money (Never a good thing).

At this point, felt drawn to spend my time and money doing something....but what?! Video games are fun...I played them for a few months. And, if my predictions and introspective self-thought were correct, it should be no surprise that I could play those video games for 8-10 hours at a time. I actually lost weight playing video games! Oh, I could also happily play a video poker machine for 6 hours at a pop too. You see, whatever I did, I did it hard and for a long long time. I realized that wherever I put my focus, I could create passion and energy. One day on a lunch date with my wife Jen, she urged me to focus my time and energy on something positive. She had concerns about the future due to my boundless energy, time, money, and lack of goals outside of work. And because I love her...I listened.

So, it probably took me a couple hours to come up with my plan. The plan was? Ironman triathlon of course! Afterall, I had the background... I could barely swim across the pool without suffocating, I didn't own a bicycle, and I ran 3 miles at a time in the Marine Corps. Plus, I ran those 3 miles pretty fast. Hindsight 20/20.....I didn't have the physical background at all. What I did have was the right mindset.

I threw myself into training and started making mistakes, which I quickly learned from. I bought a bike and all the equipment. The new challenge was exciting and intimidating. I walked into a bike shop one day having never been in one....and walked out with a new road bike and $2,000 worth of equipment. I bought 10 books on triathlon training and a membership to the local gym. And I started training.....hard.

Within 7 weeks, I was finishing my first sprint triathlon. I was feeling awesome and proud. I was enjoying everything I was doing. I hadn't played a video game in months. There was no time! And, I also discovered one of the secrets of passion and time management...that is, the more you have to do, the less time you have, BUT, the more time you will find to do it. AND, the more passionate you are about something, the more energy you will create and find from within.

Fast forward a couple years...I spent that time training consistently and doing various races. I found myself doing longer distance triathlons like half-Ironman and half marathons. I also used all my new found energy to finish my masters degree with a 3.8 gpa. Life was good baby!

Next, I signed up for Ironman. Ironman is the ultimate experience of life right? I saw it on television when I was 16. That's what they said...they said that Ironman triathlon was the ultimate human endurance test. So, I needed to get there....NOW!

Oh yeah, 3 weeks after I registered for that Ironman...Jen told me she was pregnant! Happy Happy Happy! But wait....when would that baby be due? How about 3 weeks, 3 days before Ironman? Is that possible?

Yes sir. It's possible:

Crossing the finish line of my first Ironman was supposed to be the achievement of a life time. And, AT THE TIME, it was. It was the happiest moment of my life. My son was born happy and healthy having survived a high-risk pregnancy. But, I also felt like I had opened a new door into world previously invisible...the world of Ultra-Endurance. Little did I know it would become my life. Ultra-endurance sports.

The best drug ever.

5 years later, I am 100% ultra-endurance athlete. It has provided a framework from which I make decisions about how I spend my time and money. It also lead me to a vegan diet for health, longevity, recovery, and happiness. The most rewarding aspect of my training and life has been the impact I have had on others. I constantly meet people who find inspiration in what we do as ultra-endurance athletes. And, I realize that my story is unique.

Today, I find myself working on a new project. I am working with close friends and family to bring a great adventure to life. "Run The Coast" is a 500 mile run from San Francisco to San Diego. Along the way, runners and walkers will join me and my running partner, Jason, as we make our way down the coast. Each step we take will generate donations for our chosen charity, The Iron Andy Foundation.

Please come run or walk with us in November, 2010 as we make our way down the California Coast. RunTheCoast

Your friend,

Jerry

Team Iron Andy @ Western States 100!

2009-12-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

The Western States 100mi Endurance Run (WS100) is the mother of all ultras. The race is so popular and rich with history, athletes from all over the world compete yearly in a "lottery", which determines who will get the opportunity to run the course. After 5 years, Jerry was finally accepted through the lottery system and accepted entry into the 2010 race!

The WS100 is held in the last week of June. In preparation for Run the Coast, Jerry will be training and competing at Western States. He will be "paced" by Jason Chilson for the final 38 miles in their quest to score a sub-24hr silver belt buckle for Team Iron Andy.

From now until June 2010, physical training will be focused on a series of shorter ultramarathons, which will prepare Jerry for Western States 100. At this point, logistics and preparation for Run the Coast continue and will be strengthened by the intermediate goal of running a successful race at the 2010 Western States 100. Following the WS100, they will be driving the route from San Francisco to San Diego, mapping out the exact course for Run the Coast! Go Team Iron Andy!

Team Iron Andy Takes 1st Place!

2009-10-19T19:39:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-04T10:06:00.001-08:00

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

Full-Time Dad, Part-Time Athlete; Ultraman 2010

2009-03-03T13:46:00.001-08:00

Ultraman is one of my lifetime endurance goals. Although I am an ultrarunner at heart, I can't help but be absolutely fascinated by the idea of traveling to Hawaii or Canada for this:

Day 1: 6.2 mile ocean swim/90 mile bike
Day 2: 170 mile bike
Day 3: 52.4 mile run (double marathon)

I would not compete in races if I was all alone. I don't enjoy traveling to races alone or competing alone. In fact, I hate it. For me, it is the shared memories and adventure of teamwork in the outdoors. Sure, I can complete difficult events.....but who would understand what I went through or what was so funny about random things like the "Banana at mile 72". Nobody would understand if I didn't bring family and friends into the ridiculous and wonderful world of endurance sports.

So Ultraman strikes my fancy on so many levels. You have to have the endurance resume....the luck of the application selection (only 35 get selected per year) and the money/time-off. Oh yeah, you have to train your ass off too.

I want to make a serious bid for selection to Ultraman 2010. In order to do that, I will have to round out my triathlon resume for 2009. So, the balance must begin.........Full-time dad, Part-Time Athlete.

My son, Jalen, turns 3 years old this month. I refuse to call him an obstacle for my personal goal of getting to Ultraman. He is merely, "a challenge". Since I must share equally the resposibility of caring for Jalen...the event takes on new meaning.

You may not have noticed, but many ultra-endurance athletes are single or retired. Many do not have children. And those on the podium rarely have to rush home to prepare PBJs for their toddler. At the same time, I wish to acknowledge ultra-endurance athletes who still manage to work full-time and compete in these events. In fact, race directors should probably create a special division for us.

Excuses are everywhere and I can think of a thousand reasons to ignore my personal goals. But yesterday I resolved to move toward Ultraman...one PBJ at a time.

For what it's worth, I'll let you all know how it goes. Gotta go... Jalen just laid down for a nap and I have to squeeze in 40 miles on the indoor trainer.

-Jerry (Jalen's dad)

Leadville 100 Pacing

2008-08-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Colorado this past June, I maintained contact with all my running friends in Southern California. I remember how remote and extreme Colorado seemed... I wanted to become liason of sorts, for runners in SoCal that sought to run races here in Colorado.

Michelle Barton was one of the first to take advantage of my offer this past month when she flew out for the Leadville 100. Our crew included Cindy Yankee and Jenifer Armstrong...both experienced with crewing long distance races. Michelle's 8 year old daughter, Sierra, also joined the team when the adventure started on Saturday morning at 4am.

Leadville is a small mountain town in the Rocky Mountains, which finds itself at a modest 10,200 feet. Runners are challenged in this environment by the obvioius factors associated with oxygen deprivation and rapid weather changes. The Leadville 100 is ranked among the most difficult 100 mile trail ultramarathons in the United States.

Michelle arrived just one week before the race, placing herself at a distinct disadvantage for this race. I had concerns for her ability to perform in the high altitude, knowing how I felt after an entire month of living nearby. I knew that the elevation would be the main factor to overcome.

At the first aid station, mile 13.5, Michelle arrived looking out-of-sorts. Instead of being among the top 5, she found herself quite ways back in the pack. She didn't appear to be struggling, but admitted that she was having problems breathing. This scenario continued throughout the day. To make matters worse, mother nature opened a can of whoopass on everyone trying to run this already difficult course. Temperatures ranged from 30-45 degrees. Freezing rain, hail, and winds pounded runners into submission. At approximately 45 miles, athletes climb up and over Hope Pass at 12,700 feet. The 50 mile turn around is just after the climb, requiring everyone to climb back up and over Hope Pass again while they are still celebrating their survival from the first time.

The course cut offs require that athletes cover a certain distance over a specific length of time. If they are behind the cut offs, they are disqualified. In consideration of the weather conditions, the drop out rate rose significantly. I suited up to pace Michelle from 50 miles but the evil cut off warned near. Michelle, along with hundreds of others, were disqualified by the established timelines. An announcement from the lead volunteer advised all athletes in the aid station at 50 miles to ''exit immediately'' or be disqualified. At that moment, I knew that Michelle and many others were being pulled from the race.

At that same moment, a male runner was hurridly arranging his gear for the ''immediate exit.'' His name was Ladislav Lettovsky. Ladislav called out for someone to pace him...he had not prepared to have a pacer until that exact second. Knowing Michelle was out of the race...I told Ladislav I would pace him. He ran out of the aid station while I pinned his name on my chest, indicating to race officials, that I was his official pacer.

I caught Ladislav and then saw Michelle making her way into the aid station. I stopped and told her the bad news. She was shocked, and being the incredible athlete she was, never even thought about the cut 0ffs. Our exchange was rushed and left me feeling guilty for having to make such a quick decision regarding my pacer duties. I encouraged her to get to the aid station where Jenifer and Sierra were waiting. Once there, Michelle would also find her good friend Rob Cowan would dropped, as well, due to altitude-related illness.

I spent the nex 15 hours pacing Ladislav. He was determined and strong. On the climb up and over Hope Pass...again, Ladislav struggled to breath. He vomited regularly and climbed slowly, although using every ounce of strength. I offered suggestions for his form, knowing that he was using all his energy to move forward without consideration of things less important...like hiking form. He occasionally spoke in short sentences, letting me know he was well aware of the timelines he must meet in order to finish the race. Climbing above 11,000 feet, clouds and fog enveloped the valley below...making it's way smoothly up the mountain. It represented the looming cut off times that we would be fighting for the rest of the race.

The environment is remote and powerful. It is quiet. The only sound heard is that of natural streams, foot steps, and the arduous sound of oxygen-starved lungs.

Ladislav climbed up and over the pass. He asked me for a time check and then confirmed I had not lied to him. (Pacers will sometimes lie to the runner in order to motivate them or keep them positive.) I told him it was indeed, 8:05 pm, and he seemed to be satisfied with that time. He stopped only for a split second...not to look at the incredible view, but only to take a picture with his pacer.

At this point, Ladislav knew he was ''only'' 45 miles away from his goal. He had finished the most difficult climb of the race...and he knew he could finish.

The darkness came fast. Ladislav and I pounded down the north side of Hope Pass. At the bottom, we could see through the darkness...bright lights which Ladislav identified as the 'Twin Lakes Aid Station.' In the final few miles before Twin Lakes, we had to make our way across a stream using a rope. The water was cold but felt invigorating.

We arrived at Twin Lakes and Ladislav's crew/family was there waiting. We had to rush out of the aid station because the cut-off times continued to threaten Ladislav's successful finish. This would continue as we made our way from aid station to aid station.

Into the darkness we plodded. One moment will stick with me forever...it was about mile 63. The sky was black dark. We were running along a single track section of rocky trail and aspen trees were everywhere. Just 10 minutes earlier it had been raining hard......the temperature had dropped and we covered ourselves in black trashbags. I was running behind Ladislav, handing him his bottle about every 6-7 minutes. Conversation was nill and no other sounds polluted this surreal moment.

Lightning struck in the distance above us, and because of the darkness, we were illuminated with each strike. I counted like a 6 year old....one one-thousand, two..... And my scientific approach confirmed what I already knew; the lightning storm was coming over the hill right toward us. I continued counting until it was painfully obvious that we were about to go from cold and damp to soaking wet.

It was then that a strange sound alerted me. Something like amplified static or paper all around us. I looked above and tried not to run off the trail. Ladislav didn't even slow down. Did he know what was coming? Perhaps.

Hail fell out of the sky without warning. It poured frozen hail, the size of peas. We weren't forewarned by rain or sleet.......this was just hail and it was falling out of the sky. The trail turned white and the loud static sound became louder. The sound was being created by hail falling through the aspen trees. There was plenty of aspen trees and there was also plenty of hail. The sound was deafening. This moment might not be so memorable...but it was Ladislav's persistence throughout this moment that touched me.

Ladislav didn't even slow down........didn't even say anything or acknowledge the powerful hail storm. He didn't even slow down or speed up. He was a determined man and his focus, throughout this surreal moment, epitomized the dedication that one needs to finish the Leadville 100. That was an intense experience for me.....to see this athlete pushing through pain and discomfort......mentaly focusing his effort, despite mother nature's strength and determination to make his effort near impossible.

The remainder of the night became one endless moment. Time was still and nothing changed from mile to mile. Even though I was just a pacer, I had difficulty staying focused on our goal. I was tired, wet, and struggling. I was fully capable of running the 50 miles.....but the difficulty of this event was the weather and rugged trails. The darkness and cold wet trails were even taking their toll on me. But how could I even consider my situation when Ladislav had been running since 4am the previous day? That consideration would forever put to rest the idea of quitting. Ladislav pushed and pushed.......he knew he would finish.

With each aid station we learned just how difficult Ladislav's mission would be. Naturally, we would lose track of time and distance while out on the course. On approach to aid stations, I would run ahead and find out how close Ladislav was to the cut-off. I would then run back and tell him so he knew whether he could continue running at the same pace or lay down the hammer for a couple miles in order to build up a minute or two for the aid station.

This procedure was our only hope of succeeding. It was, however, extremely stressful and tiring. It required me to run additional miles and then back track. Once Ladislav arrived at the aid station, the 2 or 3 minutes we 'built up' was, of course, not nearly enough to rest or recover. Before Ladislav even had a moment to sit down, he was being pushed out of the aid station by a tired short-fused volunteer who threatened his disqualification. This happened at each aid station. His determination was not swayed, however.

Because of our position in the race, we knew that nobody running behind us would finish the race. Basically, we represented the grim reaper of the Leadville 100. As Ladsilav and I passed runners on the trail....we knew they would be disqualified at the next aid station. Let it be known we passed a lot. I would estimate that we passed more than 150 athletes as we ran the back 50 miles. We saw injured runners, who pleaded for us to send back help. I recorded their names and race numbers in my head.......then told the aid station about each injured person when I arrived.

We also saw runners that had mentally reached their limit. One runner just sat down on the trail and cried. I asked him if he was injured..he said, 'No.' I asked him if he needed me to send back help and he said, 'Yes.'

I felt empathy for this runner.......and the others we passed on the trail. I had great respect for their determination to cover 60-80 miles under these conditions. How could anyone in their situation consider themselves a failure? But, I knew, that they would feel unsuccessful when they finally climbed into bed later that day. That is what I love about this sport.......the people that compete in ultra-endurance are such quality people......such determined souls, that they feel unsuccessful when they cannot finish more than 80 miles in a high-altitude mountain race. That says it all right there....this sport isn't for everyone.

At mile 87, thing were looking up. The sun was rising and the rain had stopped. Our bodies were numb so we didn't realize we were cold anymore. The only problem was the pressure from the clock.......and we never knew how close we were to that daunting cut-off. On approach to the aid station, Cindy appeared on the road. She started firing out questions and asking what we needed. I didn't have the strength to answer or articulate our 'needs'. Afterall, the list was extensive and I just wanted to sit down. Ladislav needed all sorts of shit, including at warm shower, 12 hours sleep, a massage, three meals, warm clothes, 800 mg ibruprofen, etc....That's why these questions of 'what do you need' seemed so ridiculous to me.

It's so funny during the latter stages of a long race...crew or spectators ask simple questions to runners. And, as a pacer or runner, all I can think about is the 'true' answer to the question....for instance:

Mile 47, San Diego 1 Day '05:

Q(Jen): What do you need?
A(Jerry): I NEED HELP! HELP ME!

Mile 37, PCT 50, '07:

Q(Cindy): Do you want Red Bull?

A(Jerry): I HATE REDBULL! STICK IT UP YOUR ASS!

Ladislav and I reluctantly exited the tent at mile 87. We started running down the trail and Ladislav informed me that we were about to climb 'the second most difficult mountain' of the race. My thought? Crap! I forgot to take ibruprofen at the aid station!

The climb came fast...but we didn't climb it fast. I think it was more like a freight train climbing over the continental divide. The sort of speed that makes you wonder if you're going backwards......or perhaps influecing the time-space continuum. It seemed like a good time to take a nap, so I was able to get a few minutes of level 1 sleep while we climbed.

The sun continued to move higher in the sky. Ladislav, still determined, pushed harder than he had since I joined him at mile 50. He reached the summit and seemed empowered by the mathmatical certainty that he would finish.

We made our way toward Leadville, which was visible from over 10 miles away. The final 5 miles were different that the others. We were climbing a slight grade into town and runners were everywhere. We had caught up to a host of other athletes who were now finishing the race together.

Another memorable moment came in the final few miles of the race. Ladislav was obviously enjoying the moment.....thinking back over his adventure, and starting to realize some of the incredble experiences we had during the night. Ladislav was a man of few words.....and even more quiet now that he was thinking about all that had happened.

A British runner, however, that was walking alongside us......was not so quiet. He was chatting up a storm.....and he wanted to tell Ladislav about everything that had happened in his life over the past 2 years. Ladislav, with his strong Czech accent, was doing his best to seal up his chit chat with this British guy. The two accents were worlds apart.........and neither one was interpreting the other right. It was hilarious becasue Ladislav just wanted him to shut up and he just kept asking questions and telling stories. Eventually, Ladislav had to fight his way past and continue on alone.

In the final mile, Ladislav saw Anton Krupicka standing on the sideline. Anton is the course record holder of the Leadville 100.......he became injured earlier in the year and did not run the race this year. Ladislav called out to Anton, "Anton! I finished!"

Ladislav cried happy tears. He told me he would not run in the final few hundred yards because he had been walking for two miles. I said, "You have to run!" He did.

And he finished too.

By the way....only about 180 runners finished Leadville this year out of 550.

Bulldog Revisited

2008-08-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Posted by popular demand...this video documents the 2006 Bulldog 50k Trail Run in Malibu, CA.

The race was well organized and enjoyable in every way. The post-race party is awesome with pizza and age group awards and plenty of give-aways. Competition is thick, with starting fields in the neighborhood of 150. Front runners lead the pack up and over Bulldog Mountain to the 7 1/2 mile aid station...then back down the mountain for a second loop up and over. One water crossing is possible near the end of the loop, but it depends on current conditions. High temps are often a factor and the morning sun sneaks up on runners as they climb the fireroads to the peak of Bulldog mountain at miles 7 1/2 and 15. Much of the course is exposed and, if the sun is out, prepare yourself for some ruthless heat.

Great places to stay include the Malibu RV Park and campground, which provides a scenic overlook of Malibu beaches. Keep your eye out for Hollywood types....they tend to frequent this haughty area. You'll see more than a couple exotic convertables during your visit.

This year's race is upcoming and hopefully this video will help those of you preparing to attempt the Bulldog 50k for the first time.

Feel free to contact us with any questions about this event.

Enjoy!

-Team E.R.F.

Karnazes vs. Kouros

2008-08-01T18:27:00.001-07:00

Team E.R.F. has always been supportive of Dean Karnazes and his efforts to develop a career out of ultrarunning. And over the past couple years I have found myself in the position of trying to explain what it is about Dean that some ultrarunners don't like. I do not wish to be involved in any sort of Dean-bashing nor do I plan to champion all of his decisions as a businessman. I do, however, wish to provide you with a view "from the other side" as presented by Wyatt on his blog, "There are no limits...ever."

http://nolimitsever.blogspot.com/2008/03/kouros-v-mr-faker.html

Link over and read Wyatt's article about Dean, and, if you have time...leave a comment on the bottom indicating your dissent or support.

-Jerry

Leadville Silver Rush 50 Mile: Race Report

2008-07-21T10:09:00.001-07:00

I ran the Silver Rush 50 Mile this past weekend in Leadville, CO. It was my first event in the state and definately the first time at running above 10,000'. I arranged a carpool partner through the Boulder Trail Runners email list and drove up to Leadville with "Nick Pedatella."

We arrived in Leadville on Saturday at about noon. The small town of Leadville is incredibly special and unique. The town resembles that of the late 1800s with very little change, except for the cars. This mining town went through various phases of development in it's rich history. It started as a gold mining town and then silver. Other mining took place later for other valuable metals and minerals.

Today, it seems the town of Leadville survives on the tourism industry...basically sports like hiking, mountain biking, running, fishing, and camping. For this reason, I believe, the towns people are incredibly warm to the idea of 100 mile races and 50 mile mountain runs.

I calculated that approximately 800 people were brought into Leadville for the weekend for the 50 mile MTB race on Saturday and 50 mile ultra on Sunday. Unlike ultras in large metropolitan areas, athletes visiting Leadville for the weekend WILL spend their money in Leadville......because there isn't anywhere else to go! But that is ok, because Leadville is very enjoyable as a weekend destination.

The one great thing for athletes participating in events in Leadville is that they know how to put a race on. Everything was well organized, from registration to awards. The race was professional and the staff made it look easy. I watched several of the mountain bike riders finish their race on Saturday and noted the loudspeaker announcing each finisher as they crossed the line.

The announcer would proudly exclaim the name of the finisher and the city they were from. The crowd of anxious family, friends, and spectators, waited at the finish and clapped and yelled as each finisher arrived. I couldn't help but compare this exciting finish line to the sheer opposite I experienced last year at a 50 mile race when, after finishing in silence, the race director held up his hands and said, "You can stop running now."

On Sunday morning at 6am, the race started promptly. Approximately 120 runners toed the line. The announcer told us that the race would start with a sprint up the first hill (which was appoximately 50' at 20% grade). According to the rules, the first male and first female up the hill would earn a special silver coin. Next, someone fired a rifle, and we started up the hill. I didn't see many people "sprinting" but there was one runner that was obviously charging as hard as he could. I'll leave his name out of this report, because his initial balls-to-the-wall run up the hill later turned into a slow slumber when he reluctantly gave up 1st position at only 10 miles. I was told he, "Blew up hard."

RACE DESCRIPTION DETAILS:

The entire race takes place above 10,000' on dirt roads. Much of the road surface is worn down and overgrown making it more like a trail than an actual road. The course was out-and-back.

The first 10 miles are a gradual climb up to 12,000' It became quite steep in the final push to the 12,000' mark where we made a hard left turn and started down hill on a wide road for about 3 miles.

Aid stations were available quite often, which seemed to vary between 4 and 7 miles. I started the race with two large hand-held bottles and quckly learned that I could dump much of my fluid because the aid stations were so frequent. (Which is a good thing) A few of the aid stations were just tables with water/electrolyte coolers. They were set-up in between the larger full-service aid stations.

The course goes up and over the first climb at about 12,000' and then drops back down to about 10,200'. It then climbs back up to about 12,000' at a higher grade which served to be the more difficult pass. This was referred to as the "saddle at Ball Mountain." The two high points of the race are at about 10 miles and 20 miles. Of course, the return required us to climb the same passses at miles 30 and 40. The entire race is incredibly beautiful and allowed us to take our minds off the pain by gazing off into the distance at incredible scenery.

Nick passed me in 1st place when I was still a few miles from the turn around. He was very focused and absolutely flying down the hill. He had a huge smile on his face and I took a quick photo to remember the moment. I didn't see the second place runner for at least 2 miles. Nick was on fire and I couldn't wait to see if he could maintain that pace.

Coming into this event, I decided not to taper. Being new to Colorado, my intention for "running" the event was merely to experiment with the high elevation and take lots of photos. It is a ton of fun when you throw out the competition and just enjoy the day. I should do it more often!

Speaking again about the course itself...I think the course would be quite easy if it had taken place at sea level. Afterall, there is only about 8,000' of elevation loss/gain. The difficulty factor for this race is ELEVATION. I have become somewhat acclimated to elevation up to about 7,000' but I feel the elevation about 10,000' significantly. At 12,000', I work hard to walk fast. This even would be incredibly difficult for someone coming from sea level.

At the end of the day, I crossed the finish line in 8:59. The announcer encouraged me to run harder in the last seconds so I could break 9 hours...which I did enthusiatically. Nick was immediately there to celebrate. He finished the race in first place and had received a special trophy for the accomplishment. Nick finished in 7:26...an incredible time for his first ultra! The women's race was won by Lynette Clemons in 8:03...another incredibly fast time.

All in all, it was a great race and a true adventure. For anyone considering this event, I encourage you to do so. Keep the elevation in mind, but don't let it stop you from making the trek out to Leadville. The beauty makes up for the pain and you will go home happy you made the trip.

Interview with Nick Pedatella: 2008 Silver Rush 50 Mile Champion

2008-07-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

A brief interview with 2008 Silver Rush 50 mile Champion Nick Pedatella

The inaugural Silver Rush 50 Mile Ultramarathon at Leadville took place on July20, 2008. I had the pleasure of carpooling with Nick and sharing a motel room with him the night before the event. This 50 mile race would serve as Nick's first ultra and I shared several pieces of advice with him the day before the race. Nick told me the night before the race that he would, "ideally like to run a sub-8 hour race."

Trying not to discourage the young man's plans, I told him, "If you run a sub-8 hour race, you will win."

Ignoring most of my advice about having a pace plan and carrying more than one bottle, Nick tore out of the starting line amongst approximately 120 other ultrarunners. He ran in second place for most of the first 10 miles and then took his position as race leader. He would not relinquish this position for the remainder of the event. Nick maintained a torrid pace for the entire 50 miles even though he was no longer challenged by any other competitors. This 50 miles consisted of approximately 8,000' of elevation gain/loss and took place at high elevations above 10,000'. Nick told me off camera that he, "Didn't really feel the elevation that much."

Nick finished the race unofficially in 7 hours 26 minutes, which calculates to a sub-9 min/mile for the entire event. At least Nick followed one piece of advice...run a sub-8 and win.

Congratulations Nick! Keep up the great work.

-Jerry and Team E.R.F.

ORDER Recover-ease

2008-07-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

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Note: Energ-ease and Intense Defense also available. Feel free to inquire.

Recover-ease INFORMATION

2008-07-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

Team E.R.F. was first introduced to Recover-ease earlier this year. We quickly discovered that taking Recover-ease immediately after training reduced recovery time greatly. Using this product in conjunction with other forms of recovery including cold-water soak and/or self-massage will reduce your recovery time as well. We stand by this product 100% and encourage you to experiment with a bottle of Recover-ease for yourself. You will not find this product in stores and it's availablilty is limited to only a few sole distributors. (See below for further details on Recover-ease)

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Run with me.

2008-07-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Boulder's Cowdre Draw Trail

July 11, 2008., 2pm, 100 degrees.

Get Up, Get Out!

2008-07-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

A short video to send to all your lazy friends that vomit excuses every time you invite them to run with you!

Leadville's Hope Pass

2008-07-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Hope Pass: Training Run Movie

So, I've been a Colorado resident for 3 whole weeks...and I thought it was time to get familiar with what this place really has to offer endurance athletes. I headed up to Leadville for a short training run with my fellow "Boulder Trail Runners."

The plan was to climb "Hope Pass," which tops out at about 12,700', run down the other side and then climb up and over again and return to the cars. Sound easy enough...until I had to face the fact that my sea-level lungs were not prepared for such an adventure:

(Internal Conversations...."Is my Garmin reading right? It says we "ran" a mere 12 miles in 4 1/2 hours? WhaT would they say at The Run Down? Why are my hands swelling? Where did this pounding headache come from? Blood!? )&#)*$!@ SNOW?")

After reaching the summit, we rested for about 5 minutes and ran down the south side. What had taken us an hour to ascend took less than half that time to descend. We then headed back up the south side toward the summit again.

Climbing back up and over the summit was more difficult this time. The altitude started to make me feel tired. I developed a pounding headache and my peripheral vision started to look funky... Ultrarunning rules.

I eventually completed the training run and survived my first real taste of Colorado ultrarunning...After today, I realize that this place is more beautiful than I ever imagined.

5 Reasons Colorado is Ultrarunning Heaven:

2008-07-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

I moved here 3 weeks ago and every attempt at writing something clever to explain how I feel has failed. But realize that these pictures represent the beauty that is found throughout Colorado...and they clearly explain what I cannot in words.

Badwater 2007

2008-07-04T12:40:00.001-07:00

Better late than never...Here is a video I created for Monica Otero after she completed Badwater last year. ..

Our team was 1/2 American and 1/2 Brazilian...an interesting mix when you consider the fact that we speak different languages!

Dean's 50-50-50

2008-06-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday, I participated in a training run from La Jolla to Encinitas along the 101. The occassion was the premier showing of a documentary film about Dean Karnazes' Endurance 50.

An eclectic group of athletes had been assembled for this training run, including Ferge Hawke, David Goggins, Akos Konya, Arctic Mike Pierce, and several others. Credit goes to Keith Kirby for organizing this one, of course.

Rumors were that Dean would be joining us with his film crew...a last minute change occurred and Dean's schedule conflicted with our timeline. Nonetheless, we took off on the run and headed up north toward the La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas. The event was hosted by TCSD and Bob Babbit of Competitor Radio.

Arriving at the theatre was entertaining...there was a long line of people waiting to enter the theatre. We, as ultrarunners, stuck out in the crowd. I must admit that I enjoy being a part of the ultrarunning community. The difference cannot be explained between triathletes and ultrarunners, it can only be experienced. Once someone makes the transition into ultrarunning from either road running or triathlon, they inevitably become part of a whole new experience.

The documentary covered Dean's effort to run 50 marathons in all 50 states over 50 consecutive days. The physical accomplishment itself? Not that impressive to me. Dean's endurance resume is chock full of feats that make this one a walk in the park. But, I realize that most people conceptualize the mighty marathon distance as being extremely difficult...and the idea of running 50 of them must be crazy and inspiring. For these reasons, I acknowledge what made us ultrarunners different from the rest of the crowd in the theatre.

The film was entertaining and inspiring. It showed various states and the different environments the marathon's were held. One poignant part of the film showed Dean running alone with one female runner in South Dakota. I'm sure that was a very memorable run for her, and Dean.

Comments from several people after the film confirmed my feelings that it ran a bit long. JB Benna, the film's producer later told me it was only 105 minutes. The crowd of Type-As would have probably enjoyed it much more if they were running on a treadmill during that time. (Afterall, it's hard for a group like that to sit any longer than 20 minutes!) JB Benna, the producer, filmed much of the adventure by himself while running. I appreciate that and I sent him an email to say so. I also told him to call me should he need another running videographer!

Anyway, good job Dean. I know many more thousands of people will be inspired to take up running after watching the film. I know it is having a positive impact. Good job as well to "Journey Film" and JB Benna for making a film about running. To all the folks at JourneyFilm, keep up the great work! Thanks for telling the world about this great sport of ours!

-Jer

Western States Training Weekend

2008-05-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I flew up to Sacramento and met my good friend Pat Knoff. We rented a car and headed up to the small town of Foresthill for the 3-day WS100 training weekend. As we headed up the mountain, it became obvious that our plan of sleeping outside the car was not going to work. Dark clouds were approaching from all angles. Pat stated the obvious, "We should have brought a tent."

For the next hour, we drove around Auburn trying to find a Big 5 or something similar. We were so happy, and relieved, when we finally walked inside a Big 5 Sporting Goods store and laid our hands on a sales rack of tents, "FOR ONLY $24.99." The decision to buy a $25 tent would become regrettable.

That night, the cold rain poured out of the sky. Pat and I tried to find comfort in our plastic tent, which we set up on the soccer field of Foresthill Middle School. It was a 3 man tent, so there should have been plenty of room, right? Well, it wasn't the size of the tent. The warrant was evidently very limited and after using the zipper one time, it broke. The door flap laid open and throughout the night, cold rain found its way into our plastic home. Everything was soaked by morning and we had to use what clothes we had in the car. We never thawed out...the rain continued and we moped on the bus to get ready for the 30 mile training run.

The bus ride was about an hour long. They dropped us off near mile 38 of the WS100 course. The wind was bitter cold and the rain never stopped. We tried to convince ourselves it was worth it, but honestly, we were just miserable. Fortunately, we had about 300 other runners to be miserable with. Then we all set off down the access road to start from 'Dusty Corners' aid station. The sloppy mud and rain kept up for the next 7 hours. We were frozen to the bone and completly soaked. One runner broke an ankle, then developed hypothermia because he couldn't get back to the aid station for help.

Now that it's over, I'm glad we did it. But, at the time, it was quite uncomfortable. Needless to say, Pat and I scrapped the tent idea and drove straight to a Super 8 Motel. We rented a room for the next two nights. Then we proceeded to our rooms and took turns taking 40 minute showers. Only then were we able to relax and put warm clothes on. What an experience...I love ultra. That night, Tim Twietmeyer and company hosted a discussion on the course and proper preparation. They covered various topics...most of which revolved around getting enough sleep and not surging in the race. (Both of which I somehow fail to do during every race.)

The next day, we ran from Foresthill...approximately mile 62 on the course (where pacers join runners in the race). The weather cleared and the sun came out. It was a beautiful day and one of the best training runs of my life. From mile 62-82 on the Ws100 course, it is nothing but magical. The single track is in perfect condition....dark green trees line the course and there are several water crossings. Rivers line this section as well...it was worth the misery of the day before. The course had a slight decline, which provided the perfect situation to just let loose and fly down the trail. We ran entirely too hard, completely in violation of my plans to 'continue tapering' for the San Diego 100 mile on June 7/8.

On Day 3, I decided to face the fact that the San Diego 100 was within two weeks....and my taper required me to stop running. Pat ran the last 20 miles of the course and sharply pulled out just before entering the famous Placerville H.S. stadium. Pat was lucky enough to get selected in the lottery for this year's race, so he will get to finish accordingly soon enough. I, of course, didn't get in through the lottery......perhaps next year under the new rules.

I would highly recommend the Ws100 training weekend to any runners considering Ws100. My suggestion is to rent a motel room for the three nights and just have a car to navigate between starting points. The Super 8 in Auburn was close by and had adequate facilities for about $90/night. They also had a pool and jacuzzi for post-run relaxation. You can pay for each day's training run on that day and take advantage of the aid stations. It was a true vacation from reality...especially for ultrarunners that want to be around like-minded people. Tent camping might sound like fun from the comfort of your living room, but realize the weather could be awful and you could end up like Pat and I....cold, wet, and sad.

Happy Trails.

Jerry

COLORADO BOUND

2008-05-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

On June 10th, I will be relocating to the area of Boulder, Colorado! I would love to say that it is purely for endurance training, but there are actually other valid reasons! (Although I almost piss my pants every time I think about running through the Rocky Mountains...)

First off, California just cost too much. A $600,000 house? Come on... It's plywood and drywall! I'll actually be able to afford my life in Colorado...and run at elevation! Ok ok...this is a running blog so I'll state the facts AS THEY PERTAIN TO RUNNING.

Dude, I'm going to be living at about 6'000 feet. The rocky mountains will be about 15 minutes from my house. I truly believe that leaving the San Diego ultrarunning scene for Colorado is not a hard decision. I want to stay in contact with all my SoCal ultrarunning friends in any way I can. I want everyone to know they are welcome to visit and crash on my couch. And, of course, I plan to visit San Diego regularly and take full advantage of my elevation training.

It's a very exciting and stressful time for my wife and I right now. We will be like nomads throughout June and hopefully have a house by July. The plan is to rent at first and get things established.

I'll post info on my blog as thing happen, with hopes of keeping my buddies updated. Wish us luck ")

Here's my new email address: endurancejer@gmail.com

-Jerry

My Online Return...

2008-05-16T12:19:00.001-07:00

I've neglected by blog for about 6 months....this past winter I was in physical therapy for knee/ankle problems and I just didn't feel interested in anything running related. Afterall, it's just downright depressing to be hurt when you are a runner. The last thing I felt like doing was writing about my ongoing problems. All I wanted to do was heal and get back on the trail. I had to withdraw from the Brazil 135, which cost me thousands.

It turned out my symptoms were in my knees, but my problem was inflexibility. I spent months stretching out years of inflexibility in my quads. That released the tension in my knees and I've been pain-free since then. For a while, I felt like I was in a pinball machine, bouncing between bumpers...every medical "authority" had a different opinion. The most poignant conversation took place between myself and a nurse practitioner in my doctor's office. She "diagnosed" me with "Deterioration Disc Disorder" and told me I would never run again. She said, "Oh well...you can still ride the stationary bike at the gym. You know, running 2 miles is the same as 10."

(Although still in some pain, I ran a celebratory 15 miler the next day.)

I wish to proclaim that I'm feeling great again and back on the trail. My injury prone winter months are not anything I wish to talk about....

I want my blog to stay active because, after next month (June, 2008), I will not see my California running friends as often as I do now.

Enjoy every step.

-Jerry

Forbes.com Article

2007-11-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

"Jerry Armstrong's body began failing him at mile 75. The 30-year-old San Diego native felt tendinitis in both knees and severe ligament pain in both ankles, which caused his limbs to lock up... "

The rest of the story...
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/2007/11/09/endurance-races-sports-forbeslife-cx_rr_1112races.html

Noble Canyon 50k

2007-09-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

Well, after much anticipation, the Noble Canyon 50k finally took place!

Coming off the Angeles Crest 100, I was unable to run for two weeks due to ankle and knee injuries. Dr. Runco saved the day once again and treated me several times for patella tendonitis and ligament damage in my ankles. Due to my recovery, I had serious concerns about my ability to perform at the Noble Canyon 50k. I wish to send out a big thank you to Dr. Runco at The San Diego Running Institute for his help in mitigating my injuries prior to the race. Without his assistance, I would not have made it to the starting line.

(And, while I'm saying some thank you's...let me say thanks to the other companies that support my running. Spiz, Sunburst Nutrition, and Carb-Boom.)

The night prior, I pulled my 5th wheel camper into the parking lot of the Noble Canyon 50k. The race was not scheduled to start for another 12 hours. RD Scott Mills was already on scene making sure everything was just right. Paul Schmidt was doing radio checks outside. The elusive "Bad Rats" were scurrying around putting things where they should be. Scott was calm, collected, and extremely pumped up about the race.

With Scott's permission, I parked my camper behind the building. He escorted me inside the Rat's den for a tour. I was blown away. The faciliites were provided by the Pine Valley Bible Camp. Race headquarters was an oversized gymnasium with carpeted flooring. One side provided tables and chairs for eating. A display of fresh fruits was set up in preparation of what Scott called, "The Breakfast Buffet."

Scott checked me in for the race and provided me with my goodie bag.....Holy Goodie Bag! It started with a high-quality Asics running bag, which was then filled with a Bad Rats race shirt, embroidered Bad Rat socks, an SDRI running cap, and samples of Accelerade and Cliff Shots. The goodie bag alone made the race registration worth it!

Scott being the lead rat, ordered everyone to leave for the night and be back early for a rat meeting. I walked around the building and crawled into bed with a sexy nurse. She wanted to fool around but I reminded her of the early morning rat race.

The race noise started early. I listened from the protection of my camper. I laid there wide awake, under the covers, trying to decide whether I should get up or lay in bed for another two hours. First it was the sound of volunteers arriving for their assignment. Next it was the sound of runners walking around my camper......some looking for a place to urinate. In fact, I must have left up my " Place to Pee" sign because it was all over my front yard. I left my wife and son sleeping as I stepped out into the brisk morning air. It was time to get it on!

Eric Clifton was dressed to kill. His limbs were laden in flames...The 10 second countdown set Clifton into a sprinter's starting position. He leaned down and placed his hands on the line as if he was going to run the 100 yard dash.

Some newbies snickered behind his back.

I didn't.

I knew he was going to kick my ass.

This race was such a gathering for everyone. Charlie Nickell and the gang from Orange County included Michelle Barton, Keira Henninger, Greg Hardesty, Kirk Fortini, and other members of the Orange County Trail Runners. Charlie is the Kirk Johnson of Southern California ultrarunning. He publishes his race reports at The Run Down. Charlie actually carries a steno pad, pens, and tape recorder while running. His work is awesome. Unfortunately, Charlie has had some medical issues of late. His doctor identified his diet to be the culprit. Evidently, Charlie primarily fuels himself on candy and soda. This is unconfirmed, but I heard it from a trusted source.

Greg Hardesty and I shared well wishes just before the race started. Greg is Charlie's brother-in-arms at The Run Down.

NOTE: Charlie Nickell was 4 weeks post-op after having his kidney removed. This would later prove significant in the race when he began urinating blood. He later admitted to me in private he believed the operation had only been a dream. Sorry Charlie, it wasn't a dream. We have the video to prove it: CLICK FOR EVIDENCE

The race started at 7am. We headed out of the parking lot and down the 1 mile stretch of road that lead to the Noble Canyon trail head. Temperatures felt slightly chilly...maybe 50 degrees or so. I lost sight of Eric Clifton within the first 2 minutes. Who starts a 50k race at 6 minute miles? (Besides Eric Clifton)

I ran with the group behind Clifton. The pace was quick. 7 minute miles according to my GPS. I counted heads in the group and took note of their clothing. Once we hit the single track, my recollection of their clothing would be the only way to keep track of where I was in the race. Several in the group were a bit humbled by the first 5 miles of the Noble Canyon trail. My knowledge of the trail allowed me to feel very confident as we ascended the first 10 miles. I found myself running along side Michelle Barton during the climb. She heard me behind her and I shared some information about the course description. She told me she didn't know the trail at all.

Michelle Barton is very consistent. I usually find myself running just behind her or just in front. If I pass her in the early miles of a race, I have found that it is almost a guarantee that she will prance by me in the last 1/3 of the race. I charged up the hill in 3rd position, following Ricardo Rodrigues. Rodrigues exchanged 2nd place with me during the climb, but he did not fade. Coming into Penny Pines at mile 1o, Rodrigues moved through the aid station fast. I filled my bottles and acknowledged the onset of my knee issues. I took two ibruprofen tablets. I chased after Rodrigues after crossing the Sunrise Highway.

Rodrigues was gone.

I ran down the PCT, south from Penny Pines. This section of the trail is like my backyard. I felt so comfortable and at peace with all the rock formations. The view of the desert some 6000' feet below reminded me of the many training runs I had done on the PCT. After a few miles, I asked a hiker if he had seen a runner in a white shirt pass by (Rodrigues). He told me, "No, you're the second place runner."

While I was happy about my position, I was very confused about where Rodrigues had gone. Had he dropped at Penny Pines? I dismissed the thought because he was looking so strong. It would not be until the end of the race that he told me what happened...He made a left turn on the PCT, coming out of Penny Pines, and headed northbound for over a mile before realizing he had probably taken the wrong route. Rodrigues' mistake cost him 30 or more minutes in the race. He chalked it up to a, "Rookie mistake."

I continued chasing the irrational Eric Clifton. By reputation, he would either win the race or blow up. I powered through and aid station at mile 25. Tracy Moore was among the volunteers. He said, "Jerry, what do you need?" I barked out a request for S!Caps. Tracy couldn't find them on the table so he reached into his private stash. He ran after me and placed the sodium caplets in my hand. In his haste, he also handed me the small white packet used to absorb moisture in the cannister. This package being poisonous, I tried to deliver some comedy as I ran across the road........"YOU CAN'T EAT THESE PACKETS TRACY!!!"

3 miles later I was about to go head to head with a group of recreational hikers. They were being lead by an overweight bearded gentlemen with a hiking stick. The group was walking obliviously down the narrow single track trail right toward me. They were unaware a race was taking place. On approach, I heard, "Jogger." I wasn't going to run on the embankment to get around this group. For one, I didn't have the strength or balance. Secondly, they were not on a timeline so they should simply step aside. I ran right through the group, rubbing shoulders with many as I made my way through. Hey man, seconds count! As I passed the last one, I yelled in good proper trail etiquette, "140 more behind me!"

2 miles later, I was approaching Penny Pines. I had been checking my rearview mirror for the last 5 miles. The terrain allowed for a distant view. At no time did I see anyone coming. But, out of nowhere, Michelle Barton came flying up behind me. I know Michelle's tendencies well because I usually finish just in front or just behind her. She's a great champion.

NOTE TO BEGINNING MALE ULTRARUNNERS: If you have a problem with losing to female runners, do not register for any race in which "Michelle Barton" will be running.

Inevitably, Michelle passed with vengeance. I secretly blame my knees for becoming mush and slowing my pace, but I also applaud Michelle for being so consistent and running her race regardless of everyone else. Go Michelle!

I pulled into Penny Pines at mile 21. Michelle seem to just run through the aid station. My wife, Jenifer, was standing there with my 18 month old, Jalen. I gave them both a quick kiss and told them I'd see them soon.

I left the aid station and heard my son cry out for me. I looked back and saw him start to run after me. He yelled, "Daa! Daa!" It was very special and it broke my heart to leave without him.

The final 10 miles were pretty painful. My knees reminded me with every step that I had not recovered from the AC 100. Dr. Runco and Paul Schmidt had well informed me I would suffer on the final descent. They described the tendon area and the impact........they talked about why it would hurt more on the descent. These descriptions and conversations dominated my thoughts. The pain became increasingly worse. I worried about being passed in a flurry by 10 runners in the last mile because my pace had slowed. I really struggled on the sharp descents and rocky terrain. My knees still allowed me to run on flat and inclines. I came out of the trail head quite happy. I was happy that I had made it under the circumstances and also happy that my fading pace had not been swallowed by the runner behind.

I ran the last mile recalling the events of the day. The surging pace at the beginning. The invisible Eric Clifton, who was "on fire." The aid station interactions. Michelle Barton's powerful pass at mile 20. Wow, what a day.

I crossed the finish line and met Scott Mills. He was gracious enough to congratulate every finisher of the race. Jalen was also there.

"Daaa!!!"

Congratulations to Eric Clifton and Michelle Barton. I have a great respect for both of them. I was honored to finish behind such incredible athletes.

Also, congratulations to my friends, who were running the Noble Canyon 50k as their first ultra!

Greg Sweet, Cindy Yankee, and Lorraine Bennett

Congrats to all!

Note to readers: Charlie Nickell does eat other things than candy. I once saw him eat a Vegan sandwich.

Your Friend,

Jerry

Angeles Crest to Death

2007-09-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

A 52 mile ice bath.

From the comfort and safety of my living room, I reflect back on my relaxing weekend...

I drove up to Wrightwood on Friday morning with my friend Cindy Yankee. We headed out early from San Diego so we could get to the medical check and race brief. We first had to drop off my 5th-wheel camper at the finish line area in Pasadena. It's a small field area just off the large property of the "Jet Propulsion Labratory" in La Canada/Flintridge. Coming into the L.A. area, I was absolutely disgusted by the heavy brown smog. It was not something I could ignore. How do people live in that shit and breathe it every day?

As we were unhitching the camper and had yet to drive east to Wrightwood, it became obvious we were not going to make it in time. Cindy spoke to someone involved in the race staff at the finish line, which was still being set-up. She was able to get the RD's number and we called ahead to let them know we would be late. "No problem" they said. "We'll be here until 1pm."

Cindy and I pulled into the little mountain town of Wrightwood and I ran inside the community room. A sign on the outside of the building reminded runners to load their drop bags by 1pm because truck would be leaving promptly at that time. There were no lines inside for registration and I moved quickly through the process. They took my weight (154 lbs), blood pressure, and resting heart rate. They gave me a medical bracelet to be worn until I finished the race or dropped out.

I ran outside at 12:50 pm. I told Cindy to hurry and help me prepare the drop bags because the truck was going to leave. Just then, Dean Dobberteen informed me that the truck had already left. Perfect ") "Prompt" means right on time, right? I had a crew for miles 25-75, but the lack of drop bags meant I would have to find ways of carrying my own gear through those portions of the race.

For some reason, it made me feel better when unknown mountain man ultrarunner guy walked up and stared at me. Bearded, long hair, very Gordy Ansleigh school of fashion. He knew I had missed the drop bag truck and he just kept staring. To break the silence I said, "Howdy?" He told me he threw a fit inside the community room and told the RD he was really mad about the truck leaving early. He followed that up by saying, "That damn beauracrat."

Wrightwood is the little town that everyone stops at on the way to Mountain High ski resort. I once visited Mountain High ski resort and found it to be quite unimpressive as a ski destination. Nonetheless, Southern Californians can't be too picky and Mountain High finds itself quite busy in the winter season.

My crew was awesome. I had my wife Jenifer as my crew chief. She's a veteran crew member, having helped me get through about 50 endurance events...road races, triathlons, and ultramarathons. Cindy Yankee, my swim coach, was also helping us. Cindy crewed at Badwater this year and her knowledge of crew-supported races is drastically improving. Alan De La Pena, a friend and coworker, joined us as well. Alan is a competitive road cyclist and he brought a great knowledge of technology and how best we could use it.

Lastly, my pacers were Keith Kirby and Pat Knoff. Keith is a training partner and we did a couple night runs in preparation. Keith has paced other runners before and also volunteered on the AC100 course in 2006. Pat is an ultrarunner/desert rat. He crewed at Badwater and told me he'd be ready if I needed him to pace.

The race started at 0500 on Saturday morning. The air was a bit cold, but Cindy provided me with blanket to keep warm. Everyone was huddled in the chamber of commerce room. It was dark outside, but in the last few minutes before the race start, we could meet and talk to one another inside the room. Nobody wanted to go outside until the last minute. Most people were mingling and talking with their crews. I saw a lot of runners wishing each other luck. Hal Winton took the floor and said a prayer. He told everyone to, "Get outside!"

We all shuffled outside, reluctantly. The race started in the parking lot outside the room. Everyone was taking pictures. We stood there shivering for about 3 minutes and then I heard, "See you in Pasadena!"

Just like that, we were running as a group...into the darkness. I immediately felt the need to start evaluating my pace. Am I running too fast? Too slow? Am I being caught up in early race excitement and adrenaline? Maybe I should slow down! I find that these thoughts don't go away for about 15 miles. Then, I'm usually calm and enjoying the race. I find miles 20-30 to be some of my most comfortable running.

The first climb was significant. I couldn't see much...it was just a single track climb with about 30 minutes of switchbacks. The drop offs were, like most of the AC course, large dark holes of nothingness. Soft pockets of sand were scattered around the trail and footing was irregular. As I finished the first climb, I noted my mileage was nothing more than 2 or 3 miles, yet we had already been going for well over an hour. The trail was incredibly steep.

The sunrise was red. A fire burned in the eastern horizon. I was commenting on the sunrise with other runners near me. It seemed everyone was really happy to be finally on the course. No more tapering...no more sleepless nights. I can only speak for myself, but the month leading up to an event like this is quite overwhelming. I have nothing but time to think about the race so my mind is filled with, "What if's."

The first aid station was about 9.3 miles into the race. Coming into that aid station, I found myself running in a train with several other guys about my age. The wind was blowing 25-30 mph. I felt like I was on a training run with the group. Nobody was pushing the pace...we knew it would be a long day. Once I arrived, I found one of my support vehicles. Pat and Cindy were there...they had early race jitters and they were trying to move really fast for me. I didn't need much, yet, so I just high-fived them and thanked them for being there. I knew they were having a great time and enjoying the event.

I headed off again and soon met with Cindy and Pat. It was mile 15 or so. At this aid station, I started to notice some runners were already looking pretty beat up. The next climb, after 15 miles, was Mt. Baden Powell. It was one of many significant climbs. It topped out at 9,500 ft. During the climb, I was setting an aggressive climbing pace and maintained the speed by throwing my arms back and forth across my chest. I had full handheld bottles and the motion provided momentum for my body. I had another runner following me and we passed about 10 on the climb. I was feeling really good, even at the highest altitude.

The next stretch took us down the mountain and up another. I was looking forward to my crew at mile 25. This would be the first medical check. I ran into the mile 25 aid station without much problems. Jen and Alan were there. They had prepared several options in my bottles but I asked for pedialyte. They quickly switched gears and prepared my request. I jumped on the scale and learned I was maintaining my 154 lbs exactly. So far so good, I thought.

I pressed on from mile 25. Nothing significant happened....just more climbing and strong descents. I was really in the groove. The trails were very narrow and often took us along the edge of great cliffs. I'm normally afraid of heights, at least, I am always aware that I could fall. I found that while running, the energy required to be afraid was no longer there. It was comfortable, almost too comfortable, scrambling along the edge of these mountains. When a small rock would fall off the side, it didn't stop rolling until it was out of earshot. Many of the trails traversed the mountains, through switchbacks, and single-track. It was enjoyable, as well, because trees often protected us from the sun during the heat of the day.

Powering through miles 40-45, I found I was beginning to get more fatigued. There was a long stretch, maybe 10 miles, that we were without an aid station. I was only carrying two large handheld bottles. Several other runners around me were also running dry. One female runner offered me some water, but I declined. I didn't know how much longer we had and I didn't want her to regret that decision. I knew what that was like...

Once I got to the aid station, I knew I was getting pretty dehydrated. I found my crew waiting. They went into minor damage repair mode and provided me with iced pedialyte. Cindy sponged cold water on my legs and started massaging my leg muscles witht the cold water. Jenifer, ever aware of my calorie intake, handed me sandwich squares and insisted I begin drinking Spiz again. She said, "Do you have an appetite for Spiz?"

To my surprise, I did have an appetite. I was able to eat and drink just about anything. In most other exertions over 40 miles, I lost my interest in food. I knew we were successful in maintaining my balance with sodium/hydration because I was still eating and urinating. I left the aid station a new man. The cold water massage was awesome and made me feel fresh again. Alan clipped on a fresh iPod and I started listening to his song list. Some knock-off of the Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get It Started" made me laugh..."Let's Get Retarded!"

I came into the Chilao aid station, mile 52. I was still feeling pretty strong. I had asked the crew to be prepared with an ice bath. We did this with cold water/ice in a tall trashcan. I found the perfect cylindrical trashcan at Home Depot the week before the race. So, on approach to the 52 mile aid station, I couldn't wait to jump in that water. The Chilao aid station was really busy. There were many spectators and a lot of crew. It really made me realize how big the race was. Like many of the other aid stations, video cameras were recording everything. I think a few of those video crews belonged to local news stations.

At Chilao, I was going to pick up my pacer, Keith Kirby. I guess Keith wasn't ready to go because a couple members of my crew had to go find him and let him know it was time to run. Eventually, Keith and I left the aid station and started another climb. Alan let me know I was about 20 minutes behind a 24hr race pace. This was not good news...I knew I was getting more fatigued.

Keith and I ran together for about 10 miles. We approached the Shortcut aid station at mile 60 just before dark. Jen reminded me I had been there before during the Mt. Disappointment 50 miler. Oh yeah! I remember...I crashed and burned here because of the heat. This aid station was crash and burn point for that race. Unfortunately, the bad luck seemed to follow me at AC.

Keith and I left the aid station and I started to feel soreness in both my ankles. My knees were also starting to get pretty sore. I found downhill running to be very painful. Nonetheless, we continue to run as it became dark. At one point, Keith told me he needed to take out his headlight from his pack. If this were a training run, I would have stood and waited for him to get out his equipment. In this situation, I continued running and left my pacer behind. Keith didn't catch up for about 10 minutes. In that short time, I realized just how far someone can get in 5-10 minutes. I thought about the hours of difference there would be in the race between finishers.

Keith and I hiked an uphill section nearing 70 miles. I was definately starting to feel sharp pain in my knees and ankles. I knew it would not go away and I started to think about what I should do about the problem. Over the next few miles, I concluded that some sort of ankle brace would be most appropriate. Keith and I were only walking now and I knew he had driven up to L.A. to run. I felt bad that I could only walk on my damaged frame. I came into Chantry Flats aid station at 75 miles. I was hurtin' and tired. My ankles and knees were the biggest problem. I also decided to change pacers, so Keith could enjoy the early finishers who were starting to complete their 100 mile journey.

I felt like I was in the aid station for at least 20 minutes. Looking back at race split information, however, I learned I was in this aid station almost an hour. Cindy massaged my legs and Jen spoke to me about changing pacers. I told Jenifer I wanted her to come with me. Being in so much pain, I only wanted Jen to walk in the dark with me. I thought about all the hours I spent training on the trail. All the days I came home late, only because Jen supported my athletic endeavors. She was incredibly supportive and I wanted badly to share a few hours with her during a race.

In 2006, Jen ran across the Ironman finish line with me. She was 3 weeks post-op and carrying our newborn son, Jalen. Jalen was 3 weeks old...he slept as we ran across the finish line together. As I laid there at mile 75....16 hours into this event, I wanted only to walk through the dark with my wife and share with her the beauty of this sport. I wanted her to see the mountains, to smell the trees and dirt. I wanted her to know what it was like and what it means to cover such ground. Jen wanted to come with me. She put on some running shorts and started preparing a camelback. Immediately, the entire crew began talking us out of the idea. They cited Jen's diabetes and sleeplessness. They told me how she had not slept all day long. Over a few minutes of bantering, I gave up. Jen cried. She wanted to come but couldn't deal with the unknowns. I was torn. I looked up from my chair and saw Keith and Pat.

Pat told me he would come with me but, of course, he left it up to me. Keith was still ready to continue with me. I thought about what I needed as a runner. I thought back to memories I had from crewing Badwater. Pat was incredible as crew...he was a great pacer because he was positive and unselfish. He made me laugh. I told Pat to suit up for the last 25 miles. Pat ran to the car and changed his clothes. We headed off into the darkess.

The last 25 miles of the AC 100 is a story in itself. I was crippled and I could not run. I'm a runner and I faced the fact that I would not be able to run for the remainder of the race. The ACE bandages were providing enough support for me to walk, but everything was broken down. I could only walk. Through the next few miles, that became more and more difficult. I told Pat it would help if he stood in front of me and slowed my downhill speed. He refused. Pat told me he would not carry or support me in any way. He said, "You'll thank me later."

In my weary mind, I tried to determine when I would finish the race. I ran this by Pat and he would not venture to guess. I settled on something like 26 hours. Pat said, "We'll see."

Pat knew what I didn't. That being the actual pace I was walking. My pace had slowed to geriatric speed. I thought about things that would help: crack cocaine, methamphetamine, adrenaline shot...Pat shot each one down with quick wit. How was I ever going to finish this event?

Pat and I walked though the darkness. Instead of counting the miles, I counted the remaining aid stations. We had three aid stations left. They were about 5 miles apart.

The last 25 miles of the race included Mt. Wilson and one other significant climb. I had stopped trying to make sense of the endless trail. I felt like I was seeing the same thing over and over again. To make matters worse, I was incredibly tired and weary. The trails were perched on the side of these mountains and it would not take much for one of us to fall off the side of the cliff. Normally afraid of heights, I didn't pay much attention to the threat of falling. I think being afraid would require too much energy.

Pat and I continued through the night. My ankles were in severe pain. My left ankle was definately the worst. It hurt to flex and, therefore, between each step, I felt the most pain. The figure 8 ankle wrap we had applied was working, but created it's own problem...a piercing pain in the outside of my foot. If we wrapped the ankle loosely, I could walk without foot pain. If we wrapped the ankle tight, the foot pain became unbearable after no more than 1/4 mile.

Within a few hours, the "routine" became:

1. Lay dow, take off shoes/socks and unwrap ankle...rest for 2 minutes

2. Rewrap ankle tightly and quickly put on sock and shoe.

3. Start walking as fast as possible until the foot pain becomes unbearable.

(REPEAT)

Pat helped me with that process for 14 hours. We never walked more than 1/4 mile at one time. Needless to say, the pace slowed to a crawl. The night quickly disappeared and we found ourselves in the hot morning sun. It was now Sunday. The routine continued...we could see Pasadena. Local residents out on their Sunday morning run or hike skipped past us as if we were just rocks. Pat I just mumbled to ourselves and kept up the routine.

We eventually hit Sam Merrill, the second-to-last aid station at mile 90 or so. I was beyond delerious. The whole scenario reminded me of those horror movies where everything repeats itself over and over until someone goes crazy and kills themselves...only to wake up and find out it's a dream. Where was I?

The only thing that made sense was Pat. He kept me going. I hobbled out of the aid station and back on the dreaded trail. I was on the home stretch, right? Only 10 miles to go...we should be there in a FEW HOURS! My son is 1 1/2 years old and he could have easily run to the finish line before me. It really sucked because I felt like a milllion bucks from the waist up. From the knees down, I felt like someone had struck me 14 times with a sledgehammer.

On an on it went. We walked into the campground, which hosted the last aid station...mile 95. It was nearly 7 hours past my projected finish time. One thought seemed to emerge from my thoughtless mushy brain..."Is it more acceptable to drop out with a DNF or to drag yourself across the finish line looking like you don't even belong here?"

I considered dropping out of the race several times. Afterall, I've consistenly finished races in the top 15 since I started running ultras. I don't think I've finished any lower than 20th place, even when I wasn't racing. I knew that nobody was there, at that moment, to see what condition I was in. I knew that if not for Pat, any effort on my part to explain the structural failure in my ankles and knees would be summed up as "excuses" for weakness. Thank God for Pat! YOU TELL EM BUDDY!

PAT: "Yep, that's right. Jerry was F'd up! Have you ever run 25 miles in 14 hours? Didn't think so."

JERRY: "Told you so! Come let me hit you with this sledgehammer jackass!"

In the final push...a mere 3 miles from the finish, my left knee locked up. I could not flex my knee at all. I told Pat. He said, as if out of patience, "Well, if you can't move your leg then you can't finish. That's it."

That's not what I wanted him to say...he supposed to come up with something brilliant. About 200' down the trail, a quiet stream ran parallel. I suggested that I soak my knees in the water to fight the inflammation. Pat reminded me that I was still 200' from that water. Without hesitation, I started dragging my left leg behind me. I used my arms and hands to hop along the trail. Eventually, I was about 20' from the stream. Pat offered to lower me down the embankment. He had been very good about not ever helping me progress along the course. But this was different because his assistance was to get me off the trail, which was permitted by race rules.

Pat dragged me down the sandy embankment. I lowered myself into the stream. My knees creaked. I put my head on a rock. I knew the whole thing would be over soon, although, as I lay there with my head on that rock, I didn't know whether this was a high point or low point of the race. After about 5 minutes, I slowly stood on my feet and hesitantly, bent my knees. They worked! Just like the friggin' tin man!

I crawled out of that creek and got back on the trail. A mountain biker, with a sixth sense obviously, noticed I was in pain. Perhaps it was the routine nature in which Pat began to rewrap my ankle....or maybe it was the moaning. He offered us some Advil and I took it....YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!? I TOOK IT! I DID!

Let me conclude this neverending saga:

About 1/2 mile after the stream situation, Jen and Cindy met us on the trail. They hiked back from the finish line. We exchange hugs and I tried to tell them about the night. Everything was in slow motion. They talked to me like I was a mental patient. Jen looked in my eyes and pronounciated everything like I was on PCP and she didn't want to set me off. I didn't have the energy to tell her, "My ears work fine. I'm not on drugs."

The forward momentum continued...this time with the four of us. I tried to tell stories but nothing I said made sense. Cindy was making covert phone calls. I asked why she was on the phone. They said, "It's an emergency!" OH geez, sorry!

The emergency ended up being my good friend, Rajika. He too had made it to the finish line and hiked his way up the trail. Cindy was talking to him by phone and guiding him in to where we were. Meanwhile, I just kept walking. Much of the pain was subsiding with all this distraction. Rajika showed up out of nowhere, as he usually does, and I gave him a 31 hours-on-the-trail without a shower hug. The five of us kept going. Cindy prodded me to go faster. I tried to run but everything cracked and crumbled. I had to settle for a power walk.

The last 2 miles of the course was on asphalt. I settled into that power walk and just kept going. Somehow, I came up behind 3 other runners. They looked bad! I power walked past them, knowing I had just given up my last chance at a an award...the Tail Rat! (Given to the last official finisher of the race)

Cindy urged me to walk faster because the 33 hour cut off was quickly approaching. Shit! You're kidding me...after going through all this, I am not going to walk in at 33 hours 2 minutes.

The power walk continued. My team cheered me. I found it so funny that everyone else..........I mean EVERYONE else (except me and those other sorry fools in the last mile) was finished. Everyone was getting ready for the award ceremony. Oh good, I didn't miss it. They all clapped and cheered...as if I had done something incredible. I crossed the finish line.

I think when everyone claps for the last couple finishers of a race...it's a bit cheesy. But, I knew something they didn't. I knew I deserved that applause because the last 14 hours had been hell. You tell em' Pat.

32 hours 27 minutes

BLOG INPUT BY PAT KNOFF:

When I woke up on Saturday morning to crew my friend Jerry through the notoriously difficult and treacherous Angeles Crest 100 mile Endurance race, I had no idea what lay ahead for all of us. Jerry likes to take things to the extreme, and in the usual Armstrong spirit of things he had a well synchronized crew of family and friends at hand to see him safety through what would soon prove to be one of the most gruelling days and nights of his life.

Like a perfectly synchronized motor pit crew, we had him in and out of each aid station quickly and efficiently, topping off his fuel tanks and oiling his joints. Jerry made his steady way through the embattled trail, ticking the miles away with relative ease. I was asked to pace Jerry at mile 75. Jerry was physically and mentally well prepared for this race in every way, save one. His Southern California mountain training did not adequately prepare him for the acute angle ups and downs of the boulder and root laden trails of the AC. Hence, the tendons surrounding his ankles, especially the left one became acutely swollen and immobile.

We limped out of the mile 75 aid station, encountering several deer along the way. Jerry was reduced to walking for most of the next 25 miles. It was a long hard slog. We ticked the miles away with spirited conversation, always bent on keeping constant forward momentum and a positive attitude. As the night wore on, our pace inevitably slowed. We were forced to take regular and frequent stops to re wrap his bandages and soak his faltering right knee in the stream bed. It was apparent that Jerry was in a lot of pain. At points his left leg dragging limply behind him, yet he never stopped. We were having fun throughout the night. We were tired, but at least we were not along.

The dim headlamps of the other runners along the course could be seen zig-zagging up and down the surrounding mountains. They kept us company. As the night wore on, our thoughts began to turn toward the finish line. We were walking into the oncoming dawn as our spirits began to rise. Jerry's drive and determination to finish this race never waned as we passed the last aid station at mile 95. We hardly stopped again. The pace quickened as we were met along the last 3 miles of trail by the rest of his crew. Jerry mustered a spirited jog and we headed into the Pasadena Finish, passing though, and collapsing into a heap of smiles and relief. Pacing my friend at the AC 100 was one of thee highlights of my running career. Oh, and don't try this race unless you are truly ready to suffer. It is madness!

Final Prep for Angeles Crest 100

2007-09-12T16:11:00.000-07:00

I've been told several times this week that I'm, "Type A."

I think it was the four pages of crew instructions I sent out last weekend to everyone on my team. I laid everything out...every detail and in complete detail. I don't like anything to be a surprise on race day. This type of thinking also calms me because I'm well into a two-week taper and I have loads of time on my hands.

I like organization.....I like structure. I don't like messy, disorganized, unknown, unprepared, or disinterest.

The AC 100 is my first 100 miler. It's not that I haven't had the opportunity to run 100 mile races before. I have passed the chance to run 100 several times so that I could be physically and mentally prepared for such a challenge. Building the proper crew for support is a major part of my preparation.

I feel confident in my crew and their experience continues to improve my racing. Here aer some details about my crew and their experience:

Jenifer Armstrong- My wife and crew chief has been supporting me in triathlon, road racing, and ultrarunning for 7 years. She's been to over 50 races in support of me. She is also an athlete, having completed triathlons and cycling events as well. Jen is an emergency nurse and type-1 diabetic. She understands the human body and applies her education and experience towards my athletic goals.

Cindy Yankee- Cindy is a former All-American swim champion. Cindy became my swim coach last year and, in turn, began participating on my support crew. Cindy

Bring the Pain

2007-09-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

(Keith Kirby and I after a training run on the PCT in San Diego.....Keith is pacing me at the AC 100)

The pain is forthcoming...I got overzealous in my race schedule this year and it looks like it's time to get it on!

1. Angeles Crest 100-Sept 15/16
2. Noble Canyon 50k-Sept 29
3. San Diego 100-october 21/22
4. Brazil 135-January

I just started my taper for the Angeles Crest 100 on September 15th. It's a point-to-point course through the Angeles Crest mountains in Los Angeles County. It starts in Wrightwood and ends in Pasadena. I'm taking a solid support crew, headed up by my wife Jenifer. Cindy Yankee, Pat Knoff, Alan De La Pena, and Keith Kirby are also on the crew. Keith will be pacing from mile 52. He and I have been training at night to better simulate the conditions under which we will be running. We're headed up to L.A. on Friday for the medical check and race brief. We'll be staying on site until Saturday for the race. http://www.ac100.com/

Assuming I survive the AC 100 injury free, I'll be running the Noble Canyon 50k on September 29th. The race is a mere 20 minutes from my house so I had to register. I've been providing support to the race through my relationship with the San Diego Running Institute. I put a presentation together at SDRI to help promote the race (and the sport) with the assistance of Paul Schmidt, Tom Nielsen, and Tracy Moore. The RD for Noble Cayon is Scott Mills. From every angle, this race is sure to be a fixture on the San Diego ultra scene. The buzz is positive and everyone is looking forward to the race. http://www.noblecanyon50k.com/

To continue this madness, I'll be running the San Diego 100 in late October. http://www.members.cox.net/sandiego100/ The RD, Paul Schmidt, moved the course from the PCT to the Cuyamaca Mountains. The prior course was out and back.....now we'll be running two 50 mile loops. The change was due to a threat of fire and word from officials that they may, in fact, "close the forest." Paul was unwilling to have the Forest Service pull the plug at the last minute so he move the course. Regardless, it will be a well-managed race with plety of beautiful scenery. The Cuymacas are just west of the Laguna Mountains and also about 30 minutes from home for me. I'm sure I'll be hosting a few out-of-towners prior to that race.

Lastly, I've been invited to participate in little race down in Brazil. It's called the Brazil 135. This is a sister race to Badwater. http://www.brazil135.com.br/ Some logistical details have yet to be worked out. For now, I plan on making the trip solo with as many American crew as possible. If you're qualified an able to make the trip, shoot me an email...I can use more crew. My good friend, Cindy Yankee, has assured me she will be making the trip to support me. In my conversations with the RD, Mario Lacerda, I was informed that a vehicle would be unnecessary because of the "heavy rain." Photos from last year's race confirm that extra socks and a rain poncho are required equipment for the race. Word has it Scott Jurek is also running, although that's unconfirmed. Another interesting point about the Brazil 135 is that it is scheduled during a full moon so that runners can supposedly go without artificial light. That means I'll have extra room for security items.....air taser, small revolver, etc...According to some reports, American tourists have been kidnapped and "robbed" of small organs like kidneys, etc...all that and 30,000' of elevation gain.............28,000' loss. I'm thinking, Mt. Everest in the Amazon jungle.

Cheers.

Jerry

Mt. Disappointment 50 Mile

2007-08-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

I had the "opportunity" to participate in the inaugural Mt. Disappointment 50 mile race this weekend. The traditional 50k race was run simoultaneously on the same course and made for an interesting mix of pacing at the front of the pack. The race lived up to it's name, despite my best efforts to walk away unscathed. Fortunately, I was not the only victim. A number of other strong ultrarunners succumbed to the environment, which made me a little bit better!

I ran with Jorge Pacheco and Guillermo Medina for about 6 miles. We approached an aid station and both Jorge and Guillermo just kept running without refueling of any kind. This was where I had to come to grips with reality. I stopped and refilled my bottles..I was back on the trail within a couple minutes. It was enjoyable to have run with them for a few minutes. Josh Brimhall was well ahead of us from the start of the race. I never saw him again. I later learned that Brimhall bailed at 26 miles and headed home on the 50k course. Evidentally he wasn't the only front runner to do that. I'm anxiously awating the official results, but hearsay illustrates an approximate 30% DNF rate.

The 50k and 50 mile runners are on the same course until the 26 mile mark where 50k runners take the trail back up the mountain to their finish. Me and 91 others decided to run the 50 mile version, which set us on an untested route through the canyons and mountains. At about 31 miles, I hit an aid station and confirmed I was still sitting in a promising 6th place.

This was to change after leaving the aid station. There was no aid station for 10 miles. I carried two fluid bottles, and a full UD Wasp hydration pack but I ran dry after a mere 6 miles. The mountain was relentless and my body used up whatever fluid I still had on board. My legs starting cramping at about mile 7. My heart was pounding. It was obvious I was overheating. I was unable to run, but I still maintained a decent walk. I sucked the remaining warm liquid from my containers and shook my head in pity. I thought this would would be the low point of my race. (Too bad it wasn't)

I eventually made it to the 41 mile aid station and took a solid 5 minutes of aid from Jenifer and Cindy. They massaged out my cramps, filled my bottles, and provided the copious amounts of salt I was requesting. I took in a great deal of table salt with watermelon as well as a couple S caps. I poured the remainder of the S! Caps bottle in my rear shorts pocket. I left the aid station, still maintaining my position in the race.

A 1600' descent saw me back at the 50k/50 mile split. I felt some nausea but I just ignored it. I gulped down some Coke and a variety of snacks. After a couple minutes I started the climb. This was to be the final 5 miles of the 50 mile course. Sadly, my body shut down. Looking back, I would blame myself for taking so much salt at mile 41. The nausea went from annoyng to debilitating. I resolved to walk at a slower pace. Eventually, I was barely moving forward. Being that I'm not really "into" puking, I just tried to mitigate the nausea by walking slower and slower. After a mile or so of climbing, I found myself lying on the trail. The world was spinning.

Over the final 2 miles, I laid on the trail every 30' or so. I would take a one minute rest and then stand to walk 30'. I continued like this for over an hour. I removed my hydration pack and laid on the trail. The salt tablets in my rear pocket had become wet. When I laid down, the salt pressed through my shorts and inflamed by most precious and private of locations. My ass was burning! My approximate 9:30 finish time and 7th place finish became a 10:25 finish and 13th overall. I laid horizonal across the single track trail in my final effort to slow my competition but they just stepped over my lifeless body.

Yes, I finished. It was a humbling race. Perhaps I shared too much. Well, It doesn't really matter because I wont be in the same position again. I'm definatley one to learn from my mistakes and you better believe that I'll snap back from this one........ now, if I can just get my ass to stop burning.

Jerry

Badwater

2007-07-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving for Death Valley on Saturday, July 21st. I'll be pacing Monica Otero at Badwater. The race starts on Monday. Monica's start time is 8am.

You can follow the race online at the official Badwater website.

Jerry

Orange County: Place of Extremes

2007-07-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week in Anaheim for some work-related training. While I was there, I was welcomed into the Orange County Trail Runners club (OCTR) for some local training with members from the club. I wish to publicly thank Charlie Nickell and the rest of OCTR for providing such quality training while I was there.

On Monday I met with Charlie, Greg, and Keira for your typical after work fun run....17 miles up and through the local mountain range. I wasn't in town long enough to learn the names off all these peaks and valleys, although I believe Monday we were climbing "Santiago" Peak. Mr. Santiago was quite generous with his long, steep climbs, and relentless downgrade on hardpack fireroads. Some local drunks added flavor by firing off some rounds from their rifles. Drunks and guns....this was the only thing I was familiar with during this 17 miles of death by fireroad. Day one....4 hours of pounding.

On Tuesday, Day 2, I met with Kevin and Jennifer for some "gentle rolling hills" in the City of Yorba Linda. Somebody named Charlie was on crack when they formulated this as my recovery run.... Kevin was excited to have a running partner that could 'supposedly' run as hard as he does. He was a great host and did just as Charlie suggested....."Kill Jerry, kill Jerry!" I tried my best not to die as we climbed up an over 3 hours of hills, hills, and hills. How Charlie was able to design a run that involves uphill the entire route is still unknown to me. I got back to my hotel at 10pm, choked down enough El Pollo Loco to feed a Tijuana miquiladora, and soiled my sheets.

On Wednesday, my 'day off,' I hobbled out of my training class and took a double dose of ibruprofen. Charlie provided directions to his house in Mission Viejo. I knew I was out of place because I didn't have a Land Rover or Starbucks. Like the description of the hills.....Charlie miscalculated the drive time to his house by hours. I arrived just in time to attempt a recovery swim in his community lap pool before dinner. I was looking forward to sliding into the cold water and flushing out the lactic acid that had accumulated during my two fun runs. I waited in line and jumped in the water......Holy Jorge Pacheco! The water was a cool 85 degrees. I suffocated my way through about 500 yards and began a focused effort to determine whether Charlie was intentionally putting me through this or he was just made ill by drinking to much "OC Energy." (Which I later learned had been recalled for containing trace amounts crack cocaine.)

After my refreshing swim, I drove to a local hangout where Dave Matthews' retarted older brother was playing Bob Marley tunes. About 10 or more of the OCTR had gathered for dinner...I do believe I was the excuse for everyone to gather. Everyone was incredibly friendly and I enjoyed the company of so many healthy minded people. I met Jessica Deeline for the first time and she encouraged me to start my own group, "San Diego Trail Runners." I'd love to do it......and I was truly inspired by the quality of everyone in OCTR. The SDTR, however, will remain on the back burner for now. Thank you to everyone at OCTR that joined us for dinner. I owe each of you $4.54 because I was ordered not to pay for my dinner.

Thursday, as my schedule read, was the hard run for the week. Great! My total mileage for the week was a modest 34 miles, but I felt like I had just run a 50 mile race. I was completely taxed....and now I was going to the "hard run." Kyle Hoang lead us out of the Holy Jim trailhead. I ran behind Kyle for a couple miles through a gradually increasing grade. My legs felt like they were encased in jello. Just before I turned on my iPod to, hopefully, zone out of my pending physical crash, Kyle cheerfully said, "The hill starts just up here! And then it goes for 3 miles!"

Thanks Kyle! FU)*)%#@_$#)*%$)($)(K!!!!!!!!

I was walking within 5 minutes.......Kyle was gone. The climb was called....... something like, Holy Horsetheif or Jimmy Santiago's Canyon....not really sure. Anyway, it was brutal. Super hot and actually quite unfriendly. Kevin marched behind me although I gave him several opportunities to take the lead. Kyle was up the trail somewhere........his Jims were working well, obviously. My Jims were trashed and I couldn't find a justification except for the climbing I had done throughout the week. We topped out and ran a downgrade of fireroads that destroyed every other living cell in my quads. The final push was through a more familiar, single track, downgrade of the "Holy Jim" trail. We finished in the dark and said our goodbyes.

Thanks again to everyone in the OCTR...I truly enjoyed your company. The trail running was intense, but fun, due to the positive vibe that all of you bring to the run. If ever you decide to visit San Diego for training, I will perform Charlie's executioner role and send you home like me, questioning your own existence........with a smile on your face.

Run long and taper...

Your Friend,

Jerry

Endurance Party

2007-06-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

I'm hosting an "Endurance Party" on Sunday, July 1st. The party will be at my house in east San Diego after 1pm.

I am inviting a diverse group of athletes, from ultrarunners to triathletes. Also to be in attendance will be my friends from Monica Otero's Badwater support crew. She will have just arrived from Brazil the night before. The next day, Monica will be traveling out to Death Valley for heat training before Badwater.

To all those athletes that come across this post, shoot me an email and come join the party! This will be a healthy international potluck, so bring your favorite dish.

See you there!

RSVP to CoachJerry@cox.net

Jerry

Feeling Good Again

2007-06-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

I had a great run today. I drove up to Todd's Cabin and did about 22 miles. I ran southbound and then the Laguna Lake trail. I've been looking at the details on the Noble Cayon 50k and I've spotted a few of the tricky turns on and off the PCT. All in all, it was great to be out there and feeling good again. Recovering from an injury really makes you appreciate good solid training days like this one.

In a couple weeks, I'm scheduled to attend a week of training in Orange County. I would have been stuck there, trying to find acceptable running routes from my hotel, but fortunately, I have some help from a few local runners there in OC. Charlie Nickell and Jessica Deline have been gracious enough to organize some training runs during the week while I'm there. I'm super excited about that, because it will give me a chance to run in a different location for once. Charlie has been taunting me with the idea of inviting some of the local ultrarunners, so I will be humbled during my visit. I hope he brings them all!

Jessica maintains a very thourough blog on her adventures at http://socalrunnergirl.typepad.com/

Charlie maintains one of my favorite ultra sites, www.TheRunDown.net

To my friends in OC, I'll see you soon. I'm envious of your organization and communication with one another. I do wish I had the same connections with local runners down here in San Diego.

See you soon,

Jerry

Ok, I'm back.

2007-06-06T23:28:00.000-07:00

(To save time: I will rant and rave about my injuries and how I overcame them...and then I'll tell you that I'm going to run the AC 100 in September)

Injuries suck! There is nothing more depressing than being forced to "take it easy" for a few days or weeks. What the hell am I supposed to do with my time? I felt as though time was standing still. Every quiet moment was filled with silent evaluation of my injury...."is it healed yet?"

To recap, I ran the PCT 50 on May 12 and had a satisfactory day out on the course. I was so excited that I blew off recovery and just kept training as if I didn't run the race at all. Four days later my body broke down in several ways. I developed metatargia (dropped metatarsals) in both feet and tendonitis in my left knee. I hobbled around for three days in denial and eventually stumbled into Dr. Runco's office. He treated the metatarsal injury with various techniques and supported their position with special insoles. I didn't mention the knee at the time.

He told me to stop running for a few days. So, I kept running....which set me back even further. Doc later scolded me in a playful manner and I developed a guilty concious about being such a bad patient. I managed to take 4 days off and recover from the metatargia. After three treatments on my knee, I started increasing mileage again.

Sometime during all this, I started selecting my next race. I came up with the Angeles Crest 100 because of it's timing at the end of summer. The race is September 15th, so that would give me enough time to recover and prepare. I printed out the registration form and just let it sit on the table for a week. The final decision was to be made by my left knee at some point in the future.

Today I got my answer. I've been able to work up my mileage enough to convince me this nightmare is almost over. I ran 15 miles today on the PCT and felt good again. I'm not feeling much in my knee so I believe I'm getting over the inflamation. I'm confident that I'll be 100% within the week.

I filled out the application and I'll be sending it in as soon as I can scrape up the $240. The registration mandates I do 8 hours of trail work on the course itself. And due to their limited scheduling, I have two dates from which to pick. That being said, I'm taking a day off work next week to drive up to L.A. for trail work. It should be fun, but I'm a little bummed about having to take a day off of work for it. I understand why they've created this requirement, but it is quite difficult for me with my extremely busy schedule. They don't have a scheduled training run for the same weekend, so I'll be navigating myself through the last 30 miles of the course...unless they have a rule against that too.

-Jerry

No Marathon for Me

2007-06-03T00:37:00.001-07:00

Sadly, I must announce that I will not be running the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon. I was registered (at a cost of $90), but I developed tendonitis in my left knee. I have been seeing Dr. Runco for treatment, but I must recover and repair the damage.

I'll be resting my knee for a few more days...only running a few miles at at time. I plan to be increasing the mileage and getting back into heavier training within the week.

To all my friends and training partners running the race.....GOOD LUCK! I wish you a great race.

Jerry

Special Olympics Opening Cermonies

2007-06-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

I was approached at the last minute, this past Friday, about participating in the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics on Saturday morning. Local law enforcement agencies support the special olympics and there is a long-standing partnership between the two. In past years I have run the law enforcement "Torch Run," which is similar to the actual olympic games torch run. In the special olympics, police and sheriff deputies carry the torch through the county and hand it off as they pass through the various juridictions.

Most likely due to my past involvement and reputation, I was asked to carry the torch during the opening ceremonies and light the "cauldron." (Someone referred to it as a cauldron, so I'm calling it such, but I don't think that's the right term.)

The ceremony took place at San Diego State University, my alma matter, in the new track and field stadium. There were about 2000 athletes with various types of disabilities. They marched in and took a position on the field, within there different teams and affiliations. There were teams from Los Angeles, Orange County, Mexico, and many desert communities. Once they were in position, a colors ceremony took place, complete with the national anthem.

After all that, I ran from the side of the track with "Michael," one of the track athletes from the games. We ran out...I carried the torch. Everyone clapped and celebrated as we broke our jog and walked towards the "cauldron." We lit the torch, which represented the official beginning of their olympics.

It was a neat experience. I was glad to participate and represent all local law enforcement agencies in the process. Jenifer and Jalen came along and cheered from the sidelines.

In all, I was left with one new thought....The athletes on that field showed happiness and satisfaction from their every pore. We should not feel sorry for them because of their diminished mental capacities. It is obvious to me, having been there among them, that they live with greater satisfaction than most other people. We should all strive to become so satisified with life and exude happiness in the manner that they do. Happiness is not about what you have or who you are...it is about how you see life and how you choose to live it.

Coach Jerry

The Run Down.net

2007-06-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

I spent a few quality hours today with the mastermind behind, "TheRunDown.Net."

Charlie Nickell is the gifted writer behind most of the race reports and posts on this unique website. I was first introduced to http://www.therundown.net/ after I completed the PCT 50 and a friend and fellow runner sent me a link.

I followed the link and read the most complete and entertaining race report I have ever laid eyes on. I contacted Charlie, or "Chaz", as he sometimes goes by, and introduced myself by digital means. We hit it off pretty well on email, so we arranged for a meeting with Dr. Runco at the San Diego Running Institute (SDRI.net).

Today we all got together at SDRI and talked about the potential synergistic effect of combining TheRunDown, SDRI, and Team ERF. It was a very interesting conversation and one that will likely lead to some very interesting and exciting developments for all involved.

I wanted to make mention of http://www.therundown.net/ because it is definitely a site that belongs in your favorites folder. Even if you did not run a particular race, you will be able to learn the most humorous of details, which took place in your absence. Charlie deserves much credit for his thorough and lighthearted approach to race reports.

Ultramarathon provides a unique subculture of eclectic people, races, stories, and history. The sport is unlike anything else. The difficulty and physical challenge provided by long distance foot racing gives ultra the mystique, and provides a worthwhile filter from the outside world. I encourage you to visit http://www.therundown.net/ and learn about, or rediscover what is just so great about ultramarathon.

Coach Jerry

New Sponsor for Team E.R.F.

2007-05-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Sunburst Nutrition as a new sponsor for Team E.R.F.

Products include: Carb-Boom! energy gel, Hydro-Boom! electrolyte drink.

I have used these products for over two years on a regular basis. Carb-Boom in particular is a favorite product of mine, primarily due to the nutritional content of the gel. The content is made of real fruit and fruit sugar, therefore it is better than most every other energy gel.

Coach Jerry

What are Met-Heads?

2007-05-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

I had a great race at the PCT 50, so I decided to take it easy for few days. I jumped out of bed the day after the race and ran 7 miles in the PQ Canyon. I felt fine...just a bit of muscle fatigue. After that, I decided there was no need for any more rest so I kept running. The next day I ran 12 miles up on the PCT again. The next day I ran 10 miles and then 15 again on Wednesday. This is absolutely normal for me on any given week, but the difference was that I had just competed in the PCT 50 the weekend prior.

On Wednesday, I ran on the Silver Strand at Coronado. I had some time before work, so I ran southbound toward Imperial Beach for about 1:15 and then ran back. My pace was faster than normal...I felt good again so I was putting down a 7:30 pace or so. I found myself racing some of the slower cyclists. It sure did feel good to be out there!

After about 8 miles, I started to feeling some pain in my left knee. I walked for a minute and started running again. The pain came back so I walked again. By the time I finished the run, I was walking a bit more than running. That was a sign for what was to come.

I finished my run and drove to work. Throughout the rest of the day, both my feet started to ache severely. I was having trouble walking and I tried to find a way to sit everywhere I went. This is hard when you're a police officer, so I had to sit on my car various times throughout the shift.

I dealt this this pain for about 2 days before I called Dr. Runco. He evaluated my injury, even though it was Saturday. I walked into his chiropractic office and sat on the adjustment bench. He said, "Tell me where it hurts."

I pointed to the piercing pain on my feet, just behind my toes. His face became a serious look of concern like I have not seen before. He said, "It's one of two things....stress fractures, or a dropped met-head."

Well, I KNOW fractures aren't good. But met heads? I wanted to say, "Which of those two is better?"

Before I could determine whether to pray for met-heads or fractures, I was on my back and getting some serious adjustments in my feet. Doc pulled my toes and bent them backwards. Each toe cried out with a loud, "Pop!"

Nice.....I'm not going to say it was really painful, because it wasn't. You know, it hurt a bit, but that's ok if it means recovery. Dr. Runco's adjustments on my feet took about 5 minutes. Then he manipulated a pair of over-the-counter orthotics. He put some support pads under my feet and explained it would prevent the 'met-heads' from dropping. That's good......yes, keep em' up.

I went for a walk around the store and felt better. The next 3 days I just lounged around the house and wrestled with Jalen. He's 14 months old now so we can practice some real freestyle wrestling. He's quite good, I must say.

Two days later, I was able to walk around without pain. And, as I'm writing this, it has been 4 days since the adjustment. No running in 7 days! Holy crap! It's so depressing......but now I'm just numb.

Doc gave me the go ahead to try out my recently adjusted, supported met-head feet. This afternoon I'm going for a short 30 minute run. Hopefully, everything stays intact and the mets stay where they were before last Wednesday at about 12:30pm.

Wish me luck!

Jerry

PCT 50

2007-05-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

1st Place-7:50 (Flame Jersey) Hungarian Ultra Champion Akos Konya!

2nd Place-8:21 (Wht shirt) "I'm kicking my ass" Ultra-runner Jerry Armstrong

Well, I ran the PCT 50 ultramathon this past Saturday. I had been training specifically for that race over the past 3-4 months. I live about 30 minutes from the Pacific Crest Trail, so I was able to train on the course itself. That is the absolute best way to train for a race. I am always at a disadvantage when I travel out of San Diego...to cold desert climates or humid environments. This time, however, I was running in my backyard and I was most comfortable.

I was supported, most directly, by my crew. Jenifer, Cindy, and Lorraine, were there navigating the course and providing me support at three of the aid stations. Dr. Runco was participating in the race so Krista was there as well. Krista jumped in with my crew during a couple of the aid stations and helped fill bottles and such. They were also incredible! Thanks guys...you operated like a pit-crew at the Indy 500. Awesome job! Thank you so much.

My race went well. I found a comfortable spot in 4th place after about 3 miles and I had every intention on just staying there. I knew I was going to run the entire course, so I planned to make top 5. The course is very rocky and requires a lot of hill running. The elevation is difficult for many people. The starting line is at about 4000' and the course travels to about 6,400' at the upper aid stations.

I continued to climb through the early miles and caught Perry Edinger, who was in third place. Perry told me his wife passed away just 3 weeks prior...At first, I couldn't believe he was running, but then I realized that I would be running if something like that happened to me. Perry told me he had run 140 miles the week of this event...he was just out on a road trip with his dog and training for the Western States 100. I was touched by his peaceful mindset, under such trying circumstances. We parted ways at the Dale's Kitchen aid station and I continued on, knowing I only had two runners in front, Eric Clifton and Akos Konya.

I knew that this would most likely be the highest placement I would reach in the race. I was more concerned about faster runners coming up from behind. It was still so early to make predictions...anything could happen. I knew Eric Clifton was expected to win the race, based on his decades of experience. He has many race records and, verified by anyone's half-ass Google research, he's a bonified ultra veteran athlete. Konya was up there with Clifton..and Konya's on fire as usual. I didn't know which one would win, but I was just happy to settle on a possible third place behind them.

I continued my climbing and started to feel some solid fatigue at about mile 23. I approached Penny Pines aid station and, to my surprise, Clifton was looking back over his shoulder at me! I forgot my pain and thought, "What the hell?" I ran into Penny Pines and Clifton was drinking cup after cup of liquid. He was decked out in his multi-colored tie die pants....what a character! I had fallen two times already and was covered in mud, blood, (and beer?) Clifton looked at all my scratches and mud-covered clothing...he said in a southern accent, "You gotta stop tearin' up the trail." I laughed and charged out of the aid station with my Redbull in hand. Cindy ran along side me and took the can back to the station.

I ran northbound, targeting the 25 mile turn-around. I knew Akos was the only runner ahead of me. I questioned whether I should be up there in 2nd place, only because I've only run a handful of races at that distance. I was 1/2 mile from the turn-around and Akos came back towards me. He was 1 mile ahead. I looked up and crashed face first again into the ground. I stumbled to my feet and pulled my left hand free of the bottle so I could high-five Akos. In a Hungarian accent he said, "Are you ok?" Sure sure.....just keep running Akos! How do you stay so friggin' clean? I fall every 5 miles... Son of a bitch!

I made the turn around and started back after mile 25. Three or four runners were 1 mile behind me...and those runners included Dean Dobberteen, who seems to always run pretty close to me in races. I had a small time cushion, but we still had 25 miles to run!

I started turning up the intensity on my pace after the turn-around. I always get more comfortable after the half-way mark in ultras. I figure I've held back enough.....well, at least enough to have made it to the half-way mark so now it's time to race! So, I burned little time in the aid stations and powered through to Todd's Cabin. I started to get a little run down through this area of the trail....I was definately getting dehydrated. I started taking S-caps in addition to my Spiz. But even with this I was unable to urinate.

Jenifer met me at Dale's Kitchen, the second-to-last aid station. She took a couple pictures and told me she'd see me at the finish. I then started what seemed to be the never-ending section of the trail. It was extremely hot and I ran out of fluid between Dale's and the last aid station. I lost time to Akos in addition to the 10 minutes I had been holding. I started to be concerned about the runners behind. When a vast canyon would open up, allowing me to look 1/2 mile or more to my rear, I did not see anyone. This allowed me to relax more...maybe too much. This is when Akos' lead went from 10 minutes to 30 minutes.

I finally reached the last aid station...6 miles from the finish. I remained there for much longer than usual...maybe 4 or 5 minutes. I changed out my bottles and ate watermelon, which seemed to make me feel better about my hydration levels. My plan was to hydrate and care for my body a couple more minutes before running the last 6 miles. I knew I was being caught by runners behind (Dean Dobberteen and pacer.) But, I figured if I got hydrated, I would be ready to race anyone down the hill that presented a threat.

I left the aid station feeling pretty good. After a couple more miles, looked back up the trail and saw two white shirts pounding down at high speed. It was Dean Dobberteen and his pacer. They were coming after me! Arghhhh!!!! I had to start racing again.......after 47 miles....which hurts a bit.

I held a 7:30 pace or faster for those last 3 miles. I thought of all the research articles and recommendations I have heard about NOT running really hard in the last part of an ultra. So, I was gambling with possible injury.

I finally reached the start/finish area. I saw the RD John Martinez standing on the trail...I ran to him and he said in a very monotone way, "That's it, you can stop now." That was weird, actually. Months and months of training.....a huge build up, a special diet, expense of endurance nutrition, hundreds of hours on the trail, and the climax finish statement is, "That's it, you can stop now." Isn't ultra great?

I walked over to Akos and congratulated him. He was walking as if in a bit of post-race pain, but he was so clean! I looked like Pig Pen from the Charlie Brown series!

We celebrated with some handshakes and hugs, ate some food, and waited for several friends to finish. I met Dr. Runco before the finish and ran in with him. He worked hard out there... I could tell he was proud of his accomplishment, but he was definately feeling the distance on his legs. Congrats Doc! Marta Arato, also running her first 50 miler, came in shortly after Doc. She looked fresh except for some dirt on her legs. She said she fell "once."

After my scabs and scratches heal, I plan to do some type of anti-fall training. I will also have to develop some type of rubber protection for my feet! I'm so beat-up from this race, but my legs are fine!

See you on the trails!

Coach Jerry

www.TeamERF.com

Tapering Sucks!

2007-05-10T00:04:00.000-07:00

Tapering sucks! I'm 3 days away from the PCT 50 mile ultra and I feel like a fat slob. I've learned, through experience, that tapering does work but I doubt it's value every time. This year I started using a two week taper for any races beyond marathon distance. The typical three week taper was just too long for me...and besides, I'm racing about once a month so when am I supposed to ramp up?

Last week I started the taper by dropping from 90 miles to 45 miles in one week. That left me with so much free time I didn't know what to do with myself. That was bad enough until this week when I somehow manage to only run 15 miles or less. According to all the books I've read, the psychological and physiological effect of running withdrawal can be the catalyst for strong feelings of depression. My 'depression' rears its head in a way that makes me doubt my capabilities. It's just so counter-intuitive to think that doing something less and less over a few weeks will maximize your ability to perform on one day....but it does, it really does.

Tapering is used for several things. First, it allows the body to heal and recover. It also allows you to maximize your glycogen stores before the event. Many athletes believe that 'carb loading' means you have to eat huge quantities of pasta the day before an event. That is not correct. The taper, itself, in combination with the regular high-carb diet is what allows you to carb-load. As an ultra runner, I don't care too much about carb loading because I know for a fact that I will exhaust my on-board energy. I go into a 50 mile race knowing full well that I'll burn 8000-1000 calories during the event.

I've been using Carbo-Pro to carb load, therefore, allowing me to drink complex carbs in the 2-3 days before a race. This is nothing fancy or ingenious...you can read the instructions on the side of the cannister yourself!

This week, I'm super excited about the race. I'll have some of my fans out on the course cheering me on. Cindy Yankee, my swim coach, will be mobile on the course and providing crew support. She'll team up with Jenifer, my wife, or Lorraine Bennett. I'm also excited because Dr. Runco from SDRI is competing as well. It's his first ultra and he asked me a bunch of questions before registering. He'll be fine as long as he paces himself...that advice goes for anyone trying to go 50 miles for the first time. Lastly, I feel obligated to perform well for my sponsoring companies. Sponsorship is relatively new to me, but I am learning quite quickly that placing well at races is what yields respect among sponsoring companies. Of course, I want to race well for myself too! So, for many reasons, I am excited to toe the line this Saturday.

The race starts at 6am. I'm shooting for a finish time in the early afternoon. The starting line is at Boulder Oaks Campground (4,000') and the 25 mile turn around is at about (6,400'). The 'out' section of this race is almost all up hill and the return is a steep descent on trashed legs. Should be a nice day ") I do hope it's blazin' hot out there as well. If someone's not puking then it's not a real ultra.

I believe the real challenge this weekend will not be the 50 mile race...

I told Dr. Runco I would climb back up the mountain after my race is over and pace him back into the finish. That's going to be quite painful...but I'm looking forward to doing it. And Sunday, I'm planning to be up early to join my new friends at Breakaway Training. I'll be leading my first 'long run' as a Breakaway coach. Fortunately, that 'long run' is only about 7 miles at a 10 minute pace. I believe that will be all I am capable of after the race on Saturday. A man must know his limits. (I better pack a Redbull)

Coach Jerry
coachjerry@cox.net

A New Name: Breakaway Training

2007-05-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well, just like that...another significant change takes place with my coaching endeavors. I've joined forces with a very special group of people, which will me to be more effective. As of today, I have become a coach for "Breakaway Training." Breakaway Training is a multi-sport coaching company founded by professional triathlete, Felipe Loureiro. Felipe has found great success with his company and now he has sought to expand the company's services to include distance running.

I will be joining the current coaching staff and organizing marathon and ultra marathon training packages for athletes. This is very exciting for me because I have also sought to network with other companies in an effort to create a mutually beneficial business relationship.

My current clients will be "grandfathered in" to Breakaway's group. They will now have the added benefit of joining Breakaway's many other group training opportunities.

So, for more info, please go to www.Breakaway-Training.com

See you on the trails!

Coach Jerry

Group Training Goes Live

2007-05-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

Team E.R.F. Coaching Services is now hosting group runs on Sunday mornings here in San Diego. Many of the runs will be held at Mission Trails Regional Park, but we will also be going to other locations. The vast majority of the runs will take place on local trails. Within a few months, we will be visiting the Pacific Crest Trail for some serious trail training.

The San Diego Running Institute, an affiliate of Team E.R.F, sending many referrals to our company. This is exciting....we would like to see about 15 runners at each trail session. The cost for group training is $247 for 6 months. The value of this coaching is contained in the information you will receive during that time from Coach Jerry and his assistant coaches. Whether you consider yourself a beginner or not, organized group training with quality coaching will help you accelerate your training.

See you on the trails!

For my Brazilian Friends....para meus amigos de Brasil

2007-04-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

This July I will be pacing Monica Otero at the Badwater Ultra Marathon. I am very excited to be a part of this adventure...Monica continues to train in Brazil and she will not be here in California until June. Until then, I ask that you all keep her in your thoughts. The Badwater ultra marathon is an incredible challenge. Your positive thoughts and energy are welcome.

For Monica:

Monica, nós somos todos positivo pensando sobre sua raça. Eu estou compartilhando de sua história com a toda meus amigos e família. Você tem muitos amigos aqui em San Diego. Você realizará esta tarefa difícil porque nós estamos todos na sustentação de você!

Jerry

Brazil 135

2007-04-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

The "Brazil 135" is not yet a well known ultra marathon. The Brazil 135 or "BR135" is a sister race for Badwater. Like Badwater, the BR135 is one of the toughest foot races on earth.. The BR135 is one of three races hosting the 135 mile distance. The other race is the Arrowhead Winter Ultra Marathon held in Minnesota. So, Badwater hosts the 135 miles of scorching desert heat....Arrowhead requires athletes to survive in temperatures as cold as 50 below zero....and the BR135 takes place through the most difficult mountain range in Brazil.

So, why I am I bringing this up?

I bring attention to the BR135 because I am planning to run this race in January 2008. I have begun training for this event and my support crew is also planning for travel to Brazil. I am in communication with the race directors for the BR135. They are also in support of my efforts to toe the line in January.

This is a great undertaking for me and my support crew. This will be the first race for us outside of the United States. The trip will be expensive and also require months of dedicated training on my part. In part, the BR135 takes place through the mountains and there is only aboug 6 miles of 'flat' terrain. The maximum time limit is 60 hours, like Badwater.

I am partly attracted to this race because no American has ever run it before. The BR135 has only been around two years, so only a few athletes have completed the course. 2008 will be the third year for the BR135...sure to bring a diverse group of athletes to the starting line. As you might imagine, the logistics of flying to Brazil with a self-sufficient support crew will be just about as complicated as it will be for me to run the course.

My support crew will be extremely important at this race. I wish not to talk too much about my crew just yet, because I must save something for the next blog entry! The people I have selected to accompany me to Brazil are unselfish and dedicated to the supportive role they will play. I believe that the most extreme events (extreme in my opinion) should be planned with the support crew as the primary focus for planning. I believe I can prepare myself physically for any of these events, but I will never be able to complete them without an unselfish and technically proficient support crew.

I build my planning for these extreme ultras by considering my crew first and foremost. I seek unselfish, highly skilled, grounded people that are willing to sacrifice their comfort for me. I look for that unique quality of kindness, compassion, and positivity. Finding a synergistic group of people to join me on an international flight to South America at their own expense is no easy task. Right now I have 5 people on my BR135 support crew. Only time will tell whether we can all find the money to finance this incredible adventure.

I've heard that if you put your mind to something, anything is possible. So, what happens when you put six minds together and focus on the same thing?

Go team.

Jerry

Badwater 2007: Portuguese Story Telling

2007-04-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

Badwater is considered by most to be the toughest ultra marathon in the world. Badwater is 135 miles long and starts in Death Valley in the middle of July. Temperatures run as high as 130 degrees. The entire course is on asphalt, which puts additional stress on the athletes. Badwater is to be respected. Shoes melt....people collapse...some earn the right to stumble across the finish line. Ultra runners that complete Badwater in under 60 hours are considered to be official Badwater finishers. For those that finish Badwater in under 48 hours, the coveted Badwater belt buckle is awarded to signify membership in one of the most prestigious ultra endurance clubs in the world.

In the last year, I decided that I want to attempt Badwater. Until this week, I did not place a timeline on that goal. Now, I share with you the fact that I have begun preparing myself for the 2009 or 2010 Badwater. This is not just mere talk...let me explain.

This July, I will be at Badwater. I have been invited to participate in the race as a 'pacer' for a Brazilian runner named, "Monica Otero." I am working with Monica's support team, in preparation for her race. Monica is currently training in Brazil. This week, I meet again with Monica's team to further discuss our plans to get her successfully through Badwater.

By working as a pacer, I begin the process of resume building necessary for Badwater selection. I have learned that about 3,000 endurance athletes submit applications to Badwater every year, but only a handful are selected. Badwater, like Ultra Man, is an invitational race. Therefore, it takes years to qualify amongst the other ultra endurance athletes seeking entrance.

I will have many more updates about this...Stay tuned!

Jerry

coachjerry@cox.net

Jerry
coachjerry@cox.net

Lake Hodges 50k

2007-04-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I competed in the Lake Hodges 50k Trail Race in North County, San Diego. The race starts adjacent to the I-15 freeway and heads west for about 7 miles. The trail has some elevation changes and moves through some tight single-track. There is a turn-around at about mile 7 and the return is on the same trail. The back half of the race is mostly on wide dirt trails. One section of the back half is called, "Raptor Ridge," and it is considered the most difficult climb in the race.

Within the first mile, I found myself within a pack of about 5 other runners. Within this pack were several runners from a San Diego ultra running club called the "Bad Rats." I had not heard of this team before. Among them was one runner, who I did know. That was "Dean Dobberteen." I didn't introduce myself during the run because Dean is competing against me for the "SoCal Ultra Grand Prix Series." While we were running along the trail, I thought I would be placing a target on my back if I told Dean who I was. He likely follows the series standings online like I do, and therefore, I'd rather he thought I was just another runner! It's all in good fun...most likely, Dean does know who I am now so that trick wont work any more.

This pack of about 5 runners and I were putting down some good speed. We were, however, 2 minutes back from the leaders...Akos Konya and Steve Chrypinski. Both Akos and Steve were favorites to win due to past race performances. Akos has several top race performances, including a 2nd place at the 2006 Badwater. Steve had actually won the Lake Hodges 50k before in 2005. His finish time was about 3:40, which was a great performance. If Akos and Steve had a half-ass day, they would still likely beat everyone else!

I stayed with this chase pack until the 7 mile turn around. We started to spread out after about 8 miles. At first, I wanted to stay with the pack because there was still so many miles to go. I found myself running with "Tracy Moore" from the Bad Rats. We traded the lead for a while and then he pulled off the trail. That made me nervous again, because he didn't look tired. I think he was waiting a few seconds for the rest of his team. I then began having visions of something similar to the peleton chase-down at the Tour de France when the hot dog breakaway rider gets swallowed up by the patient, synergistic peleton. Like an efficient machine, they share the draft and conserve their energy over several hours, so as to end up passing the exhausted breakway rider just a short distance from his big finish.

I ran with this image for many miles. I ran in 3rd place behind Akos and Steve for over 10 miles. I couldn't see them any more when we were running through open spaces, so I knew they were over a mile ahead. Therefore, I worked on maintaining my distance from the pack behind me. They were only about 1/4 mile behind and closing in on me slowly. I hit the 18 mile aid station and called out for several items I needed. The volunteers just stared at me. They were definately not runners. I wanted to pass the aid station so I asked how many miles it was to the next one...they just looked at one another. I began running past the aid station, hoping I would get the info I needed. It didn't happen. I then had to back track and fill my bottles.

I wasn't very happy at this point. I asked if they had, "Heed." the electrolyte drink on the course. This female volunteer pointed to a vehicle and said something like, "We just have yellow." This was very frustrating for me...every second counted and these volunteers looked like they were surprised to have a runner ask for electrolyte drink. I grabbed a boiled potato and smashed it in the salt. I ran away shaking my head in disgust with half-filled water bottles and nothing to show for it except two valuable minutes of waisted time. I knew the chase pack was going to be right on top of me now.

I checked my rear-view about every 100 feet. I didn't want them to see me looking, however, because looking back is often a sign that you are not doing well. And not doing well, is often a source of motivation for a chasing pack. The trailing chase pack continued to close in on me. They were only about 1 minute back. At mile 22, I started climbing Raptor Ridge.

Near the top of Raptor Ridge, I felt someone coming up from behind. I was doing my best to negotiate the hill, with fast power-walking and running. The pass eventually happened. The Bad Rats made their move! The "chase pack" however had been dilluted quite a bit. It was made up of only two runners...Tom Nielsen and Tracy Moore. They said some kind words as they passed. Secretly, I was just happy that the whole pack of "Bad Rats" weren't leaving me in the dust.

I did the math and realized I was still in 5th place. I took one last look behind and didn't see anyone. I held that postion for the remaining 9 miles. I finished dehydrated and fatigued...but without injury. I was dirty after taking two high-speed crashes...not an odd occurrence for me ")

I finished in 4:15. Akos won the race by a short distance over Steve Chrpinski. Akos finished in about 3:57, Steve in about 3:58. The Bad Rats, Tom Nielsen and Tracy Moore finished in 3rd and 4th place at about 4:09. I then rounded out the top 5 at 4:15. It was a great race for me. It was only the second time I had gone to race with the intention of "racing." That is very different mental attitude than just going to an ultra "to finish" and have fun. I enjoy doing both....running for photos, converstation, and fun...and also to race.

There were about 200 registered for the race. I was very happy to take 5th among this many people. My intention to "race" was not about beating other people, but only to complete the course in the fastest time possible. Of course, within the top 10 runners, I did choose to "compete" amongst them for the best finish placement. Most of all, I wish to share that taking 5th place is pretty exciting. I won my 30-39 age group and the RD, Kevin McGuinness gave me a gift certificate for Road Runner (my least favorite running store.) I do want to share the fact that racing is fun, but just running ultras is just as fun. For me, this sport is about adventure and self-improvement. It is not about beating other people.

I believe that if I win a race, then I am not running in the right race. I'm very satisfied with 5th place...for me, it means I am right in the competitive pocket. I am a few minutes off of the leaders....really solid athletes. That leaves me with a challenge and growth potential. I will be motivated to improve my time next year and, perhaps take a spot among the ovearall top 3.

After the awards ceremony, I drove to work and rode a patrol bicycle for 8 hours. It was a great day.

Coach Jerry

coachjerry@cox.net

Spiz Energy Drink Sponsors Team E.R.F.!

2007-03-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

"Spiz" energy drink is one of my favorite products in the entire world. It is not a widely known product and, for me, that is a part of it's appeal. I have been using Spiz for about 2 years and I still drink it for breakfast every day.

Today, I contacted 'Longevity Plus,' the company that makes Spiz. I informed them of the developments with Team E.R.F. and our racing team as well. I'm very happy to announce that Spiz has decided to sponsor Team E.R.F. and the endurance racing as well. I will be a distributor of Spiz, so if you are interested in buying this product, you can now purchase it through me. Just send me an email at coachjerry@cox.net

This is very exciting...Spiz is an incredible product for endurance athletes. I back this product 100% and I am very excited to bring Spiz within the scope of Team E.R.F. products and services.

Go team!

Coach Jerry

coachjerry155@cox.net

Happy Birthday Jenifer

2007-03-25T04:01:00.000-07:00

Today is my wife's 30th birthday! She is so incredibly excited...for about a year she has been constantly talking about her intentions to be, "a hot thirty year-old." Well, she made it happen. Just one year after Jalen's birth, Jen is 30 and hot as can be. I'm a very happy husband.

Jen wanted to do something special for her birthday so she planned out this increbible weekend adventure. She made reservations for her and I to stay in downtown San Diego at this remodeled retro hotel called, "The Sofia." We're staying in the hotel right now. I'm not sure exactly what adjectives to use to describe this place...I want to say things like "club nouveau" and "swanky sheek." I'm not sure what to thesaurus-ize...all I know is that it's a comfortable and stylish hotel with a lot of personality...definately sophisticated and sexy. In all respects, it reminds me of Jenifer.

We had dinner lastnight with Dr. Runco and Krista from SDRI. Our conversations were that of business and the future of SDRI and Team E.R.F. Our friendship also continues to flourish. Doc has intentions of running the PCT 50 and I support that, of course. Depending on what happens, I may run the race with him and introduce him to the beautiful world of ultra. I told him that once he participated in an organized ultra trail race, he would not have as much interest in road racing. He has some doubts about that, but I know that he will later take back those doubts...you cannot participate in a life-changing adventure like the PCT 50 and not be changed forever. It represents everything that is to be cherished on this earth...that of friendship, endurance, adventure, health, family-support, love, earth's beauty, and healing. Dr. Runco has yet to discover his true relationship with endurance and the rugged mountain trail. I can't wait to share the story of our race...

It's 4am and I cannot sleep. One reason Jen wanted to stay in a hotel was so she could sleep- in...I left the room so she could do that. So, I write to you from this swanky-sheek, retro-cool, computer room in the lobby of the Sofia. I just had the valet retrieve my running shoes from the car...now I debate whether to run out into the streets of downtown San Diego...Ok, I think I will. I must admit that I am dehydrated from the wedding reception we attended lastnight. I drank some beer for the first time in many months. I do have a headache and I'm hungry. But nothing will change unless I make change.

So now, I will go run. I'll run to the harbor and scope out a place to buy something for breakfast. I need some gatorade too. I do believe that one thing is painfully, headache-obvious to me...I am not a beer-drinking, swanky-sheek, sleep-in-till-noon, kind of guy. Even though it is Jen's birthday, I cannot stop thinking of all that I must accomplish. So much to do...so little time. I'm out of here!

Coach Jerry
coachjerry@cox.net

Team E.R.F. Goes Online

2007-03-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight is a special night for Team E.R.F. Before midnight tonight, TeamERF.com will go online for the first time. Developing a useful and innovative website is actually quite difficult. Most people are somewhat familiar with using websites as a visitor, but creating one is a different story. Personally, I have limited education in information technology. Throughout the creative process of developing TeamERF.com, I have relied on the expertise of my brother, Mike Armstrong.

Mike just graduated with his Bachelor's degree in Information Technology and he is currently pursuing his Master's degree in "Information Systems Management." Mike has vast knowledge of the digital world we all refer to as, "The Internet." I want to give him due credit for working so diligently on TeamERF.com over the past month or so. Of course, the website will go through significant changes in the first few months. We are working very hard to develop a quality website for Team Enduance Racing Family.

Of course, this website will be the front window into my coaching business. I want first-time visitors to immdiately locate what it is that they have come to find. For many, it will be the coaching services managed through the website. For others, it will be a place to find details about the next team sponsored event.

I am anxious to share an exciting development for Team E.R.F. I will make this announcement on the completed Team E.R.F. Website. Whether you are visiting as a potential client, or just for an update on my situation, welcome! I expect very soon to be communicating though the website www.teamerf.com and no longer on this silly blog!

Until then, run strong and eat right!

Coach Jerry
coachjerry@cox.net

A New, Higher Place

2007-03-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"As it had shined across him all his life, so understanding lighted that moment for Jonathan Seagull. They were right. He could fly higher, and it was time to go home.

He gave one last long look across the sky, across that magnificent silver land where he had learned so much.

""I'm ready,"" he said at last.

And Jonathan Livingston Seagull rose with the two star-bright gulls to disappear into a perfect dark sky."

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Bach, Richard. 1970. Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The Macmillian Company, New York.

A Black Seagull

2007-03-19T01:33:00.000-07:00

I had a rough training run today...probably one of the worst ever. Fortunately, I came away from the run with a great story and inspiration that I can draw upon in the future.

I drove up to the PCT at intersection with Old Highway 80. That serves as the race start/finish for the PCT 50 and SD 100. I planned to run about 2.5 hours up the mountain and then back down for a solid 4 hours. I started climbing at about noon and after only 5 miles or so, I felt incredibly fatigued. I started walking and then decided to sit. I sat on a rock that overlooked this increbible canyon. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was so tired...I laid back and put my head on my camelback like a pillow.

I let myself drift into sleep for about 5 minutes...I never tried to rationalize why I was doing that or what may be wrong with me. I just knew I had to sleep. I realized that "not sleeping" was most likely my problem. The day prior I rose at 5:45 and met with training groups in Coronado. I ran with them and then did 12 additional for a total of 24 miles. I failed to recovery correctly because I was talking with young lady named "Sarah." I then went to work for 11 hours and finished my day by writing a lengthy story/email to my ultra hero-Dean Karnazes. It was a long day that had blended itself into another.

Needless to say, I was tired. I was also dehydrated, which I later discovered to be the real contributing factor of my "tiredness." So I guess I can go without sleep?

Anyways, I was lying there on this rock when I noticed a black bird...a crow. It was flying above my head and floating in place against the steady 20 mph wind. I sat up and watched this bird practice flight. I recognized this crow to be something more important to me at the time. I knew that it was, in every respect, a "black seagull."

"Jonathan Livingston Seagull" is the story of a seagull that seeks perfection. He practices flight technique until he achieves greatness and earns his way into "heaven." Jonathan learns all he can on earth and isolates himself from the regular flock. He is different...special. And for this, he strives for perfection.

Jonathan goes on to learn from the other elite seagulls in heaven...he is challenged by the skills that they offer. He is among his people. Jonathan, however, seeks to do something different than the other birds at his level. He seeks to return to the flock and teach them what he knows. They initially reject him, but eventually starts a revolution among gulls that improves the world.

I identify with this story. My father provided me with his original 1972 hardback version of this text just recently and I find truth and confirmation in every page. It makes me feel secure in what I have chosen to do with my life.

While watching the black seagull above, I decided I could keep running. I rose to my feet and kept plotting up the trail. The black seagull flew above me for several miles. I saw its shadow cross my path. I found inspiration in his flight. It was black...as I was dressed in black. I was alone and he was alone. It was no coincidence we chose the same place on this great earth to practice flight.

My training run left me in a pretty serious dehydrated state. I drove home, fighting my body's urge to close it's eyes. I drank pedialyte and crawled into bed. I vowed to rest, for at least one whole day.

Coach Jerry
coachjerry@cox.net

Little Tommy Goes 13.1-style

2007-03-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

http://jeffandjer.star941sandiego.com/weight_blog.html

I know some people that follow this blog are very interested in my training relationship with Little Tommy on the Jeff and Jer Showgram. To briefly recap, I overheard Little Tommy talking on the radio about a week ago. He said he wanted to lose 2o lbs...that lead to a plethra of debate among everyone on the morning show about whether he could or could not. Somehow, he was held up to a deal that involved him paying $5,000 of his own money to a listener at their party on April 6th unless he could lose those 20 lbs! In the midst of all this, I started calling in and trying to get in touch with Tommy.

I later connected with him by email and then we met that weekend. He told me he decided to respond to my email because of the things I wrote. He said he also liked the photo I sent, which was one that most everyone has seen...the photo of my favorite moment in life, when Jenifer carried 3 week old Jalen with me across the Ironman finish line. Tommy liked that photo and he liked what I had to say. That allowed me to talk to him about my passion for coaching and my desire to help people achieve their goals of health and well being.

Today there was a new development in the Tommy/Coach Jerry story...Tommy wrote me and made it clear to me that he wants to begin training for a half marathon after April 6th! You see, April 6th is the Star 94.1 Fm "Thank You Party." His goals of weight loss are initially aimed at losing the 20 lbs. Of course, my guidance in distance running and diet control are long-term. Tommy likes that and he wants to pursue my ideas of training after April 6th.

This is very exciting to me because it means that we can all look forward to seeing his progress as he goes from being 30-50 lbs overweight, all the way to running his first half marathon late this year. For me to be involved in that is awesome, because it will show first-hand what proper training and diet can do for somebody. There are so many people that are in Tommy's situation. He's 41 years old, divorced, and facing the reality of age and it's impact on the body. An unhealthy lifestyle reveals it's self with reckless abandon when one turns 40. That is reality. Fortunately, there is a cure for this depressive fact of life....it is called www.teamerf.com

No, just kidding! To be more clear, it is my opinion that the only true cure for an unhealthy body is consistent aerobic cardiovascular excercise in combination with a healthy diet of low-glycemic carbohydrates and lean protein. Cut out the refined sugar and garbage from your diet. Make signifcant change by developing healthy new habits. Learn to enjoy new foods that are grown in the earth. Don't drink soda or fruit juice that contains sugar. Avoid processed food that is cheapened with low-cost additives. Avoid the hype! Don't be a lemming...avoid convenience...this will help you find the mindset needed to be healthy in your body and mind.

If you want to know what it takes and you want the 'skinny' on dietary adjustments that can immediately be made....visit www.TeamERF.com Take the time to write me an email at coachjerry@cox.net I am developing an interest list of people that wish to be my first real clients. I have not come up with a price point as of yet. This offer will be first come, first serve. I will maintain this list of names for a couple more months while I finish the infrastructure of this company. I will then get in touch with everyone on the list and determine who is serious about getting healthy. I will be working closely with the San Diego Running Institute in the development of Team ERF Coaching Services. Plans are in the works for multiple collaborations and the synergy of combined expertise from a variety of sources.

Once again...email me if you are interested in the services I am offering. I know that the effort you put forth will pay off in a lifetime of longevity, health, and happiness.

Coach Jerry
coachjerry@cox.net

Team E.R.F. Website

2007-03-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

The development of Team E.R.F. (Team Endurance Racing Family) has been only a concept idea for the past year or so. Team E.R.F was a name I developed with my good friend, Rajika. I wanted the team name to build on the idea of crew-supported ultra endurance racing. I feel as though my crew is my family and other ultra-endurance athletes are also "family." I almost always develop a close bond with athletes and crew of those that seek to do the seemingly impossible. That is one of the most special aspects of ultra endurance racing.

In extremely long races like RAAM, Furnace Creek 508, Badwater etc., the crew is one of the main factors in an athlete's success. In lieu of this, I am building my future in ultra endurance "crew first." Most people recognize the band U2 as being one of the best rock bands in the world. It should be noted that U2 was a group of young men that were friends first...only after building their relationship and friendship did they create their band.

My personal coaching business is under the umbrella of Team E.R.F. I want to grow the coaching aspect of this company such that I can employ other coaches and specialists such as nutritionists, massage therapists, physical therapists, etc... This idea will become more clear as I bring this idea to life through the website. My immediate plan is to bring coaching services to beginning/intermediate runners through www.TeamERF.com

I hope you will continue to follow the development of this company. It is something I am deeply passionate about.

Coach Jerry

Compassion

2007-03-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

I like the word, "compassion." A brief internet search left me with a definition for the word that read:

"Compassion is a sense of shared suffering. Compassionate acts are generally considered those which take into account the suffering of others and attempt to alleviate that suffering as if it were one's own. In this sense, the various forms of the Golden Rule are clearly based on the concept of compassion." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassion)

I find this in myself. I have empathy for those that suffer...those that hurt. I care about people more than most. I sometimes find that people are in disbelief when they get a glimpse of what it means to have deeply rooted compassion for others.

I enjoy a healthy, happy life. If I lost every material possession in one day, I would still be the richest man in the world. My wife, my baby....my family and friends. This country...this freedom. I am blessed but I am not selfish. I want to share myself with others...for their benefit. I want them to be happy too. This world is filled with negativity and selfishness. I see it too often. Should I ignore it? Should I convince myself that everything is fine? I choose not to.

I do, however, choose to take positive action that will improve things. How will I do this? I will do it one person at a time.

coachjerry@cox.net

Little Tommy Leads the Way!

2007-03-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

Little Tommy is doing all the right things! Tommy has asked me to help him get his health and fitness back on track. I have a partner in all this and her name is "Dayle Webber." Dayle and I will be working together to make sure Tommy gets the most out of his diet and training. This is very exciting for me because helping people with running and diet is exactly what I want to do in my new coaching business. My website is being develped as we speak. Although it is still under construction, the website address is www.teamerf.com . The website will help facilitate coaching services for beginning runners. Until then, I will provide important updates on this blog and share my endurance life with everyone.

Today Tommy and I are going shopping. Poor Tommy has no food in his fridge! Today we will fill that fridge with the most wholesome food on earth! You can follow Tommy's progress at www.jeffandjer.com and go to "Tommy's Diet Diary" or "Tommy's Blog."

So, if you want to contact me, email at coachjerry@cox.net

Stay tuned!!!!

Coach Jerry

A Dream Comes True...

2007-03-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today Baby Jalen was sick. I stayed home from work and took care of him while his mom went to work. Being home gave me a chance to work on the computer for much of the day. I began making headway in the infrastructure for my coaching business. Mike and I began working on the website yesterday. We brainstormed ideas and decided to start with a flash intro. Fortunately, Mike has much experience with web design and helped me conceptualize TeamERF.com

The website www.TeamERF.com will be a business, which provides customized coaching services to beginning runners. The concept is one I have had for over a year. I want to provide personal coaching services to beginning runners like Tommy. I see so many lost souls out there on the trails and streets...they don't know how fast to run or how far. They have no goals and they don't know what to feed their bodies. I run past people like this all the time. I have run past people thousands of times and wished that I had business card to hand them while they were running. The business card would direct them to www.teamerf.com and then they could connect with me. Lost Souls + Coach Jerry = Happy Health People.

I ordered those business cards a few minutes ago. The website is under construction. Finally, I will act on these ideas I have been holding inside for so long.

Stay tuned for updates...I have made tentative plans to take Tommy grocery shopping tomorrow. The world of organic plant food will enrich his life so much! Weight loss? NO! The goal is absolute health, longevity, and happiness!

Coach Jerry
coachjerry@cox.net

The Training Begins

2007-03-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a very special day....for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the family celebrated Jalen's first birthday party! Jalen wore his birthday cake, rode down a hill in a wagon with his daddy, and found time to be held by everyone at the party.

This morning, however, is interesting in it's own right. The infamous 'Little Tommy' from the Jeff and Jer Showgram, took a gigantic leap forward in his effort to improve his health and weight control. Tommy and I met in the PQ Canyon and walked together for about 30 minutes. We shared stories and I gave him my 15 minute endurance bio. Our conversation was interesting and I believe we found common ground in a number of important topics. The most important thing I gained from spending time with Tommy, was a confirmation that he is committed to training and dietary changes.

I offered Tommy a brief list of ideas that provide with my core concepts of aerobic conditioning, nutrition, and overall health. He was very receptive and obviously intrigued by the ideas I was presenting. An open mind is most important and Tommy is definately in the right frame-of-mind. He will be a pleasure to work with because he is motivated and seeking self-improvement for all the right reasons.

After our walk, we drove to Tommy's house and evaluated the food situation. Tommy warned me that I would not find anything in the fridge. That is true, there was very little in the refrigerator because he had already begun throwing away food he believed to be unhealthy. We talked about "bad sugars" and briefly covered vital dietary concepts. This area of his training will need special attention.

We parted ways after only 2 hours. I know that much was covered in that time. We have formulated plans to go grocery shopping this week. That will be a great adventure! I look forward to sharing my version of things. Of course, you can also read what Tommy has to say by visiting www.jeffandjer.com and linking to "Tommy's Diet Diary."

I have established an email for coaching questions and/or comments: coachjerry@cox.net

Stay tuned! The saga continues. Keep positive thoughts in your mind for Tommy. His difficulties with weight loss are extremely common in this country. The difference for him, is that he will go through this under the very watchful eye of his media friends and, of course, the rest of San Diego. For many, he will become an example of what can be accomplished when one finally decides to make change and seek self improvement. You too can make change in your life and live like a champion!

30 Miles on the PCT

2007-03-10T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today, I managed to roll out of bed after only 5 hours sleep. I drove out to a location off the the I-8, and met with two training partners, Keith and Bob. Bob had planned out an approximate 5 hour training run that would take us up the PCT for about 14 miles and then return on a parallel trail. The "out" portion was expected to take longer because of the trail's elevation gain. We proceeded up the PCT from I-8 at Boulder Oaks Campground. This is the start of the PCT 50 and San Diego 100 mile Endurance Run. It was cool to connect to the PCT from this location, just because it gives me a clear picture of what both races will be like.

The three of us started up the trail. Keith was feeling good, so he pulled us a while. I broke in to a walk every few minutes and broke up the monotony of continuous climbing. We headed up the trail, climbing for about 3 hours. Bob said we were close to the turn-around, but he wasn't sure exactly where it was. I made the decision to turn back because I had to get to work. Keith and Bob put their camelback straws together and filled one bottle for me in a friendly gesture of support. Since I was headed back down the trail, I knew I would be alone for a few hours. Keith and Bob headed up to a small store for supplies.

I flew back down the trail, making every effort not to fall. I managed a 7:30 pace for about 90 minutes and only fell once...I dropped my bottle and recovered before tripping and falling down the cliff. The brief episode left me only with a couple clear visions of lying face up with my cell phone in hand, hoping for a signal so I could call for help. Fortunately, none of that occurred. I made it back to the trail head and flew past a group of hikers, each carrying 40 lbs of gear and hiking poles. I thought to myself, "I just traversed the same terrain with nothing more than these two bottles of luke-warm gatorade."

Somehow, I made it back to my car by 1:30pm. My garmin clicked over a total mileage of 29 miles. Pretty solid, especially for a work day. I raced back home and changed over for my 10 hour shift. Pain? No pain...just a lack of sleep. When can I run again?

Little Tommy_The Jeff and Jer Radio Showgram

2007-03-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

Some interesting things have been happening to me lately. I do believe that I am responsible, in large part, for the development of several exciting occurrences. I would like to share with you the lastest of these situations.

I am an avid fan of the Jeff and Jer Showgram on Star 94.1 FM in San Diego. I have been listening to Jeff and Jer since I was a kid. The show's producer, Little Tommy, is the voice heard "clicking in" in to the show through his microphone. Tommy answers the phones and, over the years, has become a very important figure in the show. This week something interesting happened.

Earlier this week, I was listening to the program while driving to work. Tommy started talking about his interest in losing 20 lbs. He stated he wanted to do it in one month. He talked about several fad diets and that he was trying to choose between them. I was all ears...Then several people called in an said that they saw Tommy at In n Out burger and other places like that. Tommy tried to defend himself but everyone kept bashing him. For some reason, he said that he would pay $5000 if he was unsuccessful in his effort lose the 20 lbs in one month. I heard my calling loud and clear...

I picked up my cell phone and called the station. Tommy didn't answer...I only received a busy signal for 15 minutes. I later followed up with an email, which was quickly returned by Tommy himself. We talked by email for a couple days and exchanged phone numbers. Today, I finally talked with him. I answered a couple of typical questions from him about fad diets, but I only felt my teeth grinding as I thought about how to best articulate the need for a complete restructuring of his understanding of fitness and diet. I had little time, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Tommy is completely comitted to making significant change in his life. The best part? He is going to let me help him do it.

This weekend, on Sunday morning, Tommy and I are going to meet in the Penasquitos Canyon. I am anxious to take him for a brisk walk/jog and bombard him with all the wonderful stories I have. My tactics are well rehearsed, having talked with 30-50 beginning runners over the past year. I know that after Tommy and I spend time together this weekend, he will rediscover his love for fitness. I know he will be successful because I will not let him fail. The incredible world of ultra-endurance is close to my heart. I will share with Tommy what it means to be healthy, in one's physical body, mind, and heart. This is the beginning of a wonderful story.

San Diego Running Institute

2007-03-09T00:18:00.000-08:00

I have developed a special relationship with the San Diego Running Institute. I first discovered SDRI after I injured my right foot (plantar fasciitis) during the Catalina Avalon 50 mile benefit run in January. I entered the store on crutches (advice from two other doctors) and I carried those crutches out when I left. Dr. Victor Runco is an amazing chiropractor and he took great care in getting me back on the trail.

Since that day, I have continued to work with SDRI. I have sent many referrals to the company and they have returned the favor by offering me a small sponsorship. Now, I proudly wear the "SDRI" logo on my visor and shirt. I know that SDRI, Dr. Runco, and the other staff will continue to support my efforts to improve in the sport. Furthermore, I predict that SDRI will play a vital role in my efforts to become a successful running coach. Take note of this, because SDRI will only continue to increase their influence in Southern California, one of the most important running markets in the world.

2007 Schedule

2007-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

Tentative racing schedule for 2007-2008:
March: Lake Hodges 50k
April: B2V 120mi relay
May: PCT 50 (Partial Team E.R.F. Support Req'd)
June: San Diego RnR Marathon
June-August: All short-course triathlons, San Diego area
October: San Diego 100 mile Endurance Run (Full Team E.R.F. Support Req'd)
December: Ridgecrest 50k
January 2008: HURT 100, Hawaii (Full Team E.R.F. Support Req'd)
June 2008? Western States 100 (Participating in Lottery again for 2008)
2008: Ironman Arizona or Ironman Lake Placid (in discussions w/training partners)

2007-03-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome Letter

2007-03-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome! I am excited to begin using this blog to communicate with all the Team E.R.F. members, support, and fans. I am in the process of developing a website for Team E.R.F., but by using this blog, I can begin posting pertinent information for everyone. This will be a great way of sharing information and giving updates on training, races, and upcoming events.

In short, I plan to post updates on my training and race performances. I am training hard and planning to have a very successful year in ultra-marathon and triathlon.

-Jerry