Single Track Maniac 50K

Finisher's Medal and T-shirt

This was the first year of the Single Track Maniac 50K in Williamsburg, VA. Race director Ellen Womeldorf and her race crew did a fantastic job at every aspect of the race. It was well organized, had a great selection of food, much needed motivators at the aid stations, awesome ceramic medal (my first legit 50K medal), and no ridiculously priced race photos (photos were free to download). The race was really a great deal when you think about the price paid for the mileage run. With big races, you pay so much for all the additional hoopla like bands, the expo, crazy elaborate medals, etc. This race, like it's course, got down to the roots (pun intended) of just being out there for the thrill of running.

Course

Course Map

I've run a lot of races in the past, but this was the toughest course I've ever run. Since this is only my second 50K experience, I only have Seashore Nature Trail 50K to compare it to for the distance. The terrain of this course was much, MUCH harder than the first. The course is a series of single track mountain bike trails of varying difficulty levels. From what I remember, each of the trails is run twice. The D course was the toughest, and with such a small participant field, you wonder if you're going the right way. Looking back on the fact that it's a single track course, there really isn't any place else to be, and the course was very well marked. But when you're out there for hours alone in the woods, you have your doubts about whether or not you're headed in the right direction...and everything else...

Weather and Wardrobe

The weather was perfect for this distance. About 52 at the start of the race. Being so deep in the woods, there was no wind to deal with. I didn't shed or add any layers that day. Started with sleeves down on a very lightweight Brooks Equilibrium shirt. Pulled them up after about 3 miles. Wore my favorite pair of Brooks shorts - Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project red, yellow, and black shorts. Got many compliments on my shoe choice (The Launch) from some of the volunteers. Had a very short conversation while on the move about The Launch being the best shoe in the universe and how the people are happy that it's back. Conversations are very short and choppy during an ultramarathon.

Food and Hydration

SJ Ultra Vest

There was a varied assortment of food. Honey Stinger Waffles were an awesome selection! I love those things. (Thanks MaryBeth!) Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were also a big hit since I failed to eat some at an aid station on the last 50K. My favorite thing though was Fig Newtons covered in Nutella. They were so tasty, and I'll have to remember that for the next super long race. My only criticism of the entire race is the sports drink choice. The drink was Lemon-Lime Heed. I don't think necessarily that the drink itself didn't taste good. I think it may not have been mixed well enough in the big coolers. I'd never heard of Heed before. I'll have to buy my own to give it a try and assess whether or not it was just not very well mixed.

My SJ Ultra Vest by Ultimate Direction definitely came in handy. On my last 50K, I didn't carry a pack. Thusly, I didn't carry my phone, and I wished I did because of the awesome ultramarathon sign at 26.2 miles. Fortunately, someone else had taken a picture of it, and I was able to get it.  I was able to carry gel, phone, water, and Aleve with me. I barely noticed it was on, and I was quite happy to have everything with me on the go. It's very lightweight, has plenty of easily accessible pockets, lots of reflection, and most importantly, it has a built in whistle in case of an emergency - which is always a big possibility when you're alone in the woods.

At The Finish

Overall

This was a difficult course, but I do think I'll be doing it again next year. Ellen put on a really good show, and I hope more people show up next year for the race. It's always exciting to be part of a race that's run for the first time - especially when it goes really well. And next year, I'll already be familiar with the terrain.

************

In other news, the Color Me Rad 5K the next day was painful, and the race was more annoying than fun. Christy and I talked about it, and we've decided that we're done with gimmick races like that. Now, to focus on my yoga instructor course and general streak running over the summer. More races to come in the fall, including the Marine Corps Marathon.

Run Happy, folks!

Four Years of Streak Running...

USRSA /SRI Logo

Yesterday, I woke up to the following e-mail in my inbox:

Hi Chip,

On behalf of the United States Running Streak Association (USRSA), I want to congratulate you on completing 4 years of your current running streak! Great job! We would love to include an update on you and your running in our next newsletter of The Streak Registry. Please send update along with any changes in your streak running status in the last year to me.

For more information on USRSA, please visit our website at: http://www.runeveryday.com/  

Please also visit us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=95577453452

or at Yahoo groups at: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/USRSA/

Good luck on another year of streak running!

Best wishes,

Mark Washburne

As with every day, I'm amazed that I've been able to go this long. I'm thankful my body has been able to keep up. I'm thankful that my wife is on board with it. (She started it.) I'm thankful for the running partners I've had along the way who have kept me motivated and put in the miles with me. I'm thankful for the quiet reflection the solitary miles have given me...especially since November.

RunningAHEAD Summary

In the past year, I haven't done too many races or run nearly as many miles as I had the previous three years. Hoping to get more miles this year. The biggest running milestone over the past year was the completion of the 50K. Honestly, the only training that I had for that race was the barebones minimum to keep my streak alive. Looking back at the month of December, I ran 65.3 miles for the month. 31 of them were in that race. 

So mileage for the past year was 709 miles run over 96 hours, 54 minutes, 59 seconds. Including today's run, I've done 3,727 streak miles over the past 1,462 days of streaking. Even though this is day one of the next year of streaking, I'm looking forward to making it into "The Proficient" category (5+ years) on the Active Streak List.

As always, I'm looking forward to another of streak running with Brooks Sports as my sponsor. I mean, really, if I'm going to be running every day, I should be running in the best running shoes and attire and spreading the Run Happy Spirit with every run.

Start of year five...go!

Beyond the Marathon...

50K t-shirt

On December 15th, 2012, I met a long time running goal of mine. I became an ultramarathoner. I participated in the Seashore Nature Trail 50K at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA. I volunteered at this race last year. I wasn't at all ready to run it when we first moved here. I had the job of taking off people's timing chips from their ankles, and Christy was working the time clock at the finish line.

The original plan was to train for it - as is always the plan. A year was plenty of time to train for a December ultramarathon, and with no Texas heat, it should go pretty well. Then, the original plan changed when we found out that Christy was pregnant and our baby was going to have a complicated birth. With that news, I figured that I wouldn't do the race since the plan was that we would deliver in December at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Grossly undertrained for a 50K

Then, as always, when I think I've got it all figured out...plans changed again. All of a sudden, the lengthy stay in Philadelphia wasn't happening anymore. With all that was going on with Christy and the baby, I wasn't training at all. At best, I was barely hanging on to my running streak with my daily one milers. Every now and then, I'd feel brave and do three miles. I did a couple half marathons during Christy's hospital stay - none with spectacular times. But after the whole situation settled down, I needed to do something for me. I needed to run for a long time.

As a certified running coach, running 50 kilometers (31 miles) of rooted trails is not...I repeat...is NOT something I would recommend to anyone. In fact, it's not even something I would jokingly say to someone considering it. It's really not a smart idea. I talked to Christy about it. She was against it until next year. Before the baby was born, I ran the idea by a trusted running friend, MaryBeth. She was against it until next year. After everything settled down, I ran the idea by MaryBeth again.

Me: MaryBeth...should I sign up for this 50K?

MaryBeth: No. But with what you've been through, you've pretty much reserved the right to do whatever you want for at least the next month or so.

Thus, I was able to get one of the last spots before the race sold out.

Brooks Pure Grit

So...I met up with my running partner, Jessica, at the start of the race. The weather was clear and 43 at the start of the race. I started with a jersey, a long sleeved tech shirt, a very light jacket, hat, and gloves. There was a bag drop off where they would take your bag to 64th St. which is 5 1/2 miles in. We'd end up passing 64th St. four times throughout the course, so you could bring whatever you wanted or drop off things along the way. I ditched the jacket, gloves, and hat the first time we passed it.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have huge feet. They're abnormally big for my height. I'm only 5'9". I shouldn't have a size 13 foot. I should either be taller with this size foot or stay my current height with a smaller foot. I would prefer to stay my current height and have a size 10 foot. Unfortunately, that's not going to change. Big feet + tree roots = imminent opportunities to fall. I tripped two times before the flat out horizontal fall. Somehow, I didn't scrape anything or bleed. Aside from a small bruise on my right knee, I ended up being okay from it. Fortunately for me, my running partner was quite supportive and refrained from pointing and laughing.

Aside from the fall, the majority of the race was relatively incident free until I was a fool and didn't eat and PB&J at the second to last aid station of the course. It was the last time we would pass our bag. I filled up on sports drink and ate a few chips for the sodium, but I should have taken more. Lesson learned.

Totally worth it

We passed the marathon point together. It was a HUGE milestone. The course was basically a double loop, so we passed the marathon point sign on the first loop. On the first pass, it was both demoralizing and motivating at the same time. We had SO far left to go. But on the second time around, we gave each other a well deserved high five and knew, no matter what, even if we didn't finish, that we were now ultramarathoners just for taking one step past that sign. It was a fantastic feeling of accomplishment.

I was holding my well trained partner back. I knew that I was. Before we started, we had discussed the possibility of a 5:30:00 to a 6:00:00 finish. At 28.5 miles, the trail in front of me was spinning from lack of training and lack of nutrition. I knew I was going to finish the race even if I walked the last 2.5 miles. The time limit for the course was 8.5 hours. But I didn't want to hold her back from a sub 6 hour finish like we had discussed. I told her to go on. There was no way I could have gotten to 28.5 miles without her. And there was no way I could have finished without the volunteers who provided nourishment, motivation, and smiling faces.

I struggled with the last 2.5 miles, but it was a good time of reflection on the past weeks and months. Christy fought hard for all those weeks in the hospital. Our baby fought hard for 3 hours while he was alive. The NICU staff fought hard for him. I felt that I needed to fight hard for those 31 miles. I would have had an easier time if I would have prepared. But so many people struggled to help our little man, and no one was prepared for the outcome. Yes...my rationale is probably a little different than most people who might choose a different way to grieve, but it works for me. I made some peace with some things on that trail in First Landing State Park.

Christy was there to see my finish. Knowing how grossly undertrained I was, she was worried that I might not make it, and it probably scared her a little to see Jessica finish without me. I'm happy she was there for my first ultra finish. Seeing her there was the perfect finish to the perfect race.

Am I physically suffering from it? Yes. Do my quads feel like they're being stabbed by the blades of a thousand hot knives? Sho do! I wouldn't trade that feeling of aliveness for anything right now.

In other news, the day before the race, I found out that I was selected to represent Brooks Running for my fourth year as a member of the Brooks I.D. Program. I'm looking forward to another year of inspiration and Running Happy with my Brooks family across the globe.

Lawrence Dennis LeDuff IV

On Sunday, November 18th, 2012 at 11:14pm, Christy gave birth to our sweet baby boy after only 31 weeks and 3 days of pregnancy. We named him Lawrence Dennis LeDuff IV.

Debut of Lawrence IV

He came out pink, which was one of the things we were hoping for given his previous cardiac history. The labor was long and induced, but Christy did a phenomenal job. Both of our moms were able to stay in the room the entire time, and everyone had a job to assist. When labor began, familiar faces - friends - from the NICU entered, and I felt an overwhelming sense of calm to see them. I'd worked with them many times before on the pediatric ward, so I knew we were in the best hands. He was taken to the radiant warmer and flawlessly intubated by the NICU staff. Cory, one of the doctors from the NICU said to me with a smile, "He's 3 pounds, 4 ounces...with medical equipment." I couldn't help but smile back. What a tiny little man.

Despite the fact that about 15 people filled the room, I was able and encouraged to get in the mix for a few quick pictures. I was even able to cut his cord before he was placed in the isolette. They rolled him over to Christy so she could see him before he went. She was exhausted, but I could see a smile of relief and excitement on her face. We had a baby boy. He would need some help in the NICU for the next few weeks, but he had 10 fingers, 10 toes, and a huge family that loved him since before he made his debut. The entire NICU was awaiting his arrival.

In the delivery room

After making sure Christy was okay in the delivery room, I went to the NICU to check on him. He had the eye ointment on his eyes and they were getting his footprints for his paperwork - standard newborn stuff. And because they're awesome, they were even putting his footprints on a little sign that they already had made up for him to hang above his isolette because they knew he was coming. It all looked great. I went to Christy to report the news. They came in with the footprint sheet and had Christy place a thumbprint next to his footprints. We laughed about how a 3 pound baby already had feet as big as they were. He got them from his dad.

I cleaned the ink from Christy's thumb and ran over to peds to tell them the news. I was supposed to be working that night anyway, so I thought they should know that he had finally come. I was greeted with hugs and smiles and congratulations from my friends in peds. Even though he wasn't coming straight there, I knew he'd eventually get there the first time he got sick. They loved him too, and they were almost as excited as I was.

Then, there was a phone call...

The NICU asked me to come back. I came back to a code blue...around our baby. This wasn't happening, I thought. I participated in an adult code blue in nursing school during a clinical. I'd even watched code blues in the same NICU where I was standing. They were coding our baby. He wasn't even an hour old.

Cory explained to be exactly what had been done and exactly what they were doing. His heart just stopped. I watched the code for about 15 minutes. Part of me was dumbfounded that this was happening. The other part of me was overwhelmed by the effort and love from the staff. Somehow, miraculously, the entire NICU staff was around him, and they each had a job. No one was just standing around. It was the purest image of teamwork I've ever seen.

After 15 minutes, I went to tell Christy and our moms. I wasn't sure if they wanted to see what was going on. After telling them, I went back to the NICU to assess. His heart just wasn't working. I remembered learning in nursing school about the evidence based practice of letting family members in to see the resuscitative efforts of nursing and medical teams during a code. It helps families cope with the death of loved ones when they can see that the team did everything they possible. They needed to see it.

Our family

We were able to hold Lawrence and take pictures with him while he was still alive and after he left us. The NICU staff immediately sectioned off a huge space for us in the middle of the NICU. We were allowed to stay as long as we wanted. I can't speak highly enough of the staff there. They truly were family to us that night, and they continue to be a support to us during this difficult time. I was able to participate in his first and only diaper change and bath. I was able to see his first and last breath. Somehow, all rolled in to one, it was the absoute best and worst 3 hours of my life. On Monday, November 19th, 2012, at 2:03am, he left us.

His memorial service will be Thursday, November 29th at the chapel of NMCP. The chaplains have been wonderful. He was cremated and will be taken with us wherever we go. We didn't think it right to bury him here as we have no permanent attachment to Virginia. We also wanted his memorial service to be at a place where everyone, including his immediate and extended NMCP family could attend.

It's been a rough week, but it was all worth it to see him for the few hours he was with us. Mom and dad love you little man.

Lawrence Dennis LeDuff IV

Tin Man Heart

It's a boy.

Well, I was flipping through some pictures of Christy's uterus and came across this one. It seems to have an inhabitant. As you can see from the boy bits, we're having a boy. Today, Christy is 24+5 weeks along. Prenatally for Christy, everything is going well. She didn't have much morning sickness and aside from a normal amount of swelling in her feet, she's doing just fine. The due date is January 17th which also happens to be my parents' anniversary.

Profile shot from 18 JUN 2012

Our parents have known for a while, and we were able to show them the initial ultrasound pictures through Face Time chats. Much excitement was expressed by all. We had the sex ultrasound on August 28th. Because it's heavily boy-dominant on her side of the family, everyone was hoping for a girl, so naturally, we had a boy. :) Everyone is still excited for a boy. Both of our parents probably thought this was never going to happen anyway, so boy bits versus girl bits don't really matter.

They say that having a child changes everything. Well, it's true. Even since before finding out, we had our baby furniture picked out from the Heritage Amish furniture store in VA Beach where we bought our bedroom set. We've pretty much been saving for it since we saw it. We made a baby wishlist on Amazon on the plane ride home from our Atlanta trip. We've broken the news to our dog Tricksy that she's just going to have to get used to the idea that there will be someone in the house who also requires our attention. We were even able to do some truly important things after we told Tricksy. We consulted with our respective jobs on the matter. Christy has already put us on the wait list for Navy childcare. Since she does training and consultations with Navy Child Development Centers and Child Development Homes, she can make the best selections of where to go. I was able to pick a pediatrician whom I have personally worked with and trust completely. We feel very fortunate that our education and career choices have prepared us as much as possible for being somewhat decent parents.

But even with all the details that you think you've planned for, you can never be fully ready...

The same afternoon as the sex ultrasound, we got a phone call from the nurse practitioner at the clinic. There looked to be some cardiac concerns as well as a double vessel cord. (There should be two arteries and one vein in the umbilical cord. We have one artery and one vein.) We had a follow-up ultrasound at my hospital. By the end of that appointment, all care at the clinic was being transferred to my hospital due to congenital heart abnormalities. Good thing Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is awesome.

So...without going into too much technical detail, this is where we are right now...

Normal Heart

Our diagnosis is Tetralogy of  Fallot. It's a combination of four things:

1.) Ventricular Septal Defect - a hole between the two ventricles
2.) Overriding Aorta - the aorta is basically in the wrong place
3.) Pulmonary Artery Stenosis - a skinny pulmonary artery
4.) Right Ventricular Hypertrophy - the right ventricle is too big

A consult was put in with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) because we'll definitely need a cardiothoracic surgeon either just after birth or, ideally, a few months later. CHOP is only one letter different than Chip, so I'm sold. We traveled up there on the 14th of September for an initial visit. We go again for a follow-up in November and then will stay there from roughly the 35 week point until delivery - and likely a little beyond it. Fortunately, most of the travel, food, and lodging will be covered for us. When we heard the costs associated with similar surgeries, I was even more thankful than usual to be an active duty service member. I've never - not one single time - thought about getting out of the Navy. If that decision could possibly be solidified even more, this would be the reason.

Baby's Heart

We've been seen by the finest pediatric cardiologist that NMCP (and in my opinion, the Navy) has to offer. We'll be doing frequent visits with her. These pictures were drawn by her, upside down, so we could visualize them on the other side of the table. I immediately asked her to sign them. The doctor whom I picked as our pediatrician took time out of her schedule to come to our cardiology appointment to sit with us and chat. That's one of about a billion reasons that I wanted her as our pediatrician. The leadership at my command is being very helpful and is working to accomodate me for appointments and travel.

One of the biggest stressors we've been facing was that this can sometimes be associated with genetic abnormalities - specifically DiGeorge Syndrome. Christy had an amniocentesis done a few weeks ago. As we learned, the results of an amniocentesis for genetic information come back in chunks over time. The initial results came back three days later. 46 chromosomes with no additions, deletions, or missing pieces and laboratory confirmation that the dangly bits we saw were indeed those of a boy. Good news. This meant no Down Syndrome or other major trisomies. We thought the rest of the results came back in 7-10 days, but the final results - the results that would tell us about DiGeorge Syndrome - wouldn't be back until the end of the month. We received a call on Wednesday clearing us of any genetic problems. Specifically, the lab results say: "The whole genome chromosome SNP microarray (REVEAL) analysis was normal. No significant DNA copy number changes or copy neutral regions within the 2.695 million region specific SNP and structural targets were detected." We'll take it.

After telling a good friend about our situation, she had this brilliant bit of insight to share with me: "Open heart surgery is serious and scary, but I think most of life is serious and scary, and maybe it will be good for him to get something like this out of the way so early on. I can't help but think it will help him to be a stronger, happier, more compassionate person later in life. Opening your heart to the world so early - it must mean something, right?" As a yogi who loves back bends and heart hugs, this is exactly the reassurance I needed.

Somehow, it's like Christy and I were groomed for this situation. Masters level teacher trained at SFA's East Texas Early Childhood Research Center + pediatric nurse with an affinity for the NICU trained at SFA's Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing = one complicated progeny. It's going to be a fun ride. At least on paper, we're ready for the challenge.