72 Hour run for Andrew and CAH Awareness - 2018

"If you are going to face a real challenge, it has to be a real challenge.  You can't accomplish anything without the possibility of failure" -- Lazaraus Lake, creator of the Barkley Marathons, the world's most difficult race.

People often ask me why I choose to run such long distances.  Why would I choose to run so much that my body breaks down as I try and push it to its limits?  Running through sleep deprivation, sore muscles, swollen ankles and feet, running through the extreme heat and torrential wind and rain.  Why?????

I wish I had a really good answer.

I think running gives me a sense of accomplishment that I must not get from anything else.  When I was working, closing a big deal was never as rewarding as the feeling I got after finishing a 24 hour race.  Sure closing a big deal after months of selling felt good, but it was different kind of "good".  Training for a 24/48 or 72 hour race can itself be a full time job.  The months of long runs and accumulated time spent on your feet make it a true investment in success.  This year (Jan-May) leading up to the 3 Day run for Andrew, I had run 170 hours, the equivalent of 7+ days.  There are achievements along the way with training.  Pushing myself just a little bit further each time out or maybe a little bit faster.  Running through hunger and a depleted body to mimic race conditions.  Working and learning what my body can or can not do.  I am in control, for the most part, of my success.  If I put in the time and the effort, and train smart, good things will come and I am always working to try and get better.

Last year's 3 Day Race for Andrew was hot and the heat affected my results.  I ran a disappointing 182 miles.  18 fewer than my PR of 200.  This year's training plan was the same as last. I didn't change anything except maybe adding a few more days with longer runs.   I felt I had done everything possible, except train in the sauna!  With the race being in May, your body doesn't have enough exposure to hot days to acclimate to running in the possibility of  the 95 degree weather that we had last year.

I am a big treadmill runner.  I train pretty exclusively on the treadmill during the winter.  If I was training for a winter race, of course I would spend my time training outside.  But the 3 day race is in May!  The treadmill in my basement allows for the freedom to hop on or hop off whenever needed.  The accessibility of the treadmill would allow me to log extra miles, because I couldn't let myself just sit and watch television.  (I can do that on the treadmill) and on those rainy days, I would rather have a great mindset on a 15 mile treadmill run, than struggle mentally through a rainstorm.  If I was just sitting at home, I might as well be running on the treadmill, even if it's only for a few miles.  Those extra miles would add up throughout a week of training.  It probably wasn't until early April, when we went to Hawaii for spring break, that I started to go outside and train.  I had a good 7-8 weeks of outdoor runs, to get my legs used to the ground again!  Sure there a negatives to me spending so much time on a treadmill, but I truly believe that If I ran as many miles as I did during the week, exclusively outdoors on the pavement, that the possibility of injury would be greater!  I went into the race injury free.

DAY 1 (Thursday, May 17th) - 9am

My alarm went off at 4:30am and I intended to leave my house in Ridgewood for the race at 5:30am and pick up ice on the way.  I had already set up my canopy (personal aid station) and tent, the day before, so I would not have to mess with it the morning of the race.   I was going to be solo, with no crew for the first 36 hours, until Friday night.

When I arrived at the Sussex County Fairgrounds around 6:45am it was raining.  There were 50 or so 6 Day runners out on the 1 mile loop, racking up the miles.  They had been running for nearly 3 days already, and the 72 Hour runners would be out there shortly to join them for another 3 days.

When the horn went off at 9am I still wasn't quite sure what my strategy for the 3 days was going to be.  It was raining.  I had on a rain jacket and I was just going to run.  That was my strategy.  Run by feel.  My distance goals were short ones.  I wanted to first get to 10 miles, which is when I decided to ditch the rain coat.  Then a half marathon, then 20 miles and I crossed the marathon distance (26+) in 4:35:00 and the rain stopped.  Everything was feeling pretty good.  Crossed the 50k mark in 5:33:00.  I think it was at this point that I started to get into a rhythm I had a few marks along the course that I would get to and take walk breaks in order to keep my heart rate down.   You can't afford to push all the time, it will lead to exhaustion and failure quicker.

With no one crewing me, I didn't feel the need to pull into my aid station as often, there was aid on
the course and no one to talk to at my camp.  This kept me out there running longer. I got to 50 miles in 9:49:31, which I'm pretty sure is close to a 50 mile PR for me.  I was on pace to surpass my 24 hour PR of 107 miles, I needed to slow down.  It's a 3 day race, not a 1 day race.  I pulled into the tent at 7pm and took my first long break of about an hour.  Ordered a hamburger from the aid station, grabbed some rice with chicken broth and sat down to eat.  There was no need to push it to get to 100 miles in 24 hours, that would likely make day 2 and 3 disastrous.  So I slowed it down a bit and took more walk breaks.  I took my next break at 1:30am and "slept" in the back of my SUV until 3:30am, setting my alarm.  I did not sleep, but I closed my eyes and laid there as my body throbbed to the rhythm of my heart beat.  By the end of day 1, the first 24 hours, I had run 91 miles, and was feeling in pretty good shape.

DAY 2 (Friday, May 18th)

I hit 100 miles in 26:26:07.  I was feeling good and just wanted to keep going.  It was at this point that I saw a familiar face from previous year's races.  Pablo Espinosa, a Canadian professional runner and creator of GO JUICE (https://www.pablosrun.com/go-juice.html), who had helped me in previous years with my race strategy and a horrible chaffing problem!  Pablo and I exchanged hellos and acknowledged that it took 24 hours to finally see each other on the course.  Pablo would again, play a large part later in the day, getting me through my race.

I honestly don't remember much about Day 2.  According to the time stamp of a text to my wife, I was at 122 miles at 6:20pm on Friday.  Time was going so slow.  I was waiting for the arrival of my friend Sean, who had graciously offered to crew me during the overnight hours of Friday into Saturday.  Sean arrived just as the sun was going down.  I gave him the lay of the land, showed him where all my stuff was, pointing out my cold running gear, and rain gear, as it was going to get cooler and more rain was expected.  We walked a lap together and then I was on my way.

I ran for a few more hours, and I felt like the wheels were coming off.  I was walking more and contemplating getting to 150 and just quitting.  I wasn't feeling good.  Then, running at my heels were Pablo and the 6 day race leader, Johnny Hallneby.  Johnny is from Sweden and was crushing it.  Having already run, at that point 4 1/2 days in, roughly 350-400 miles.  More on that later.  Pablo tells me to stop walking and join them on their lap.  I was thinking there was no way I was going to be able to run very long with the Canadian National 24 Hour Champion and also the elite 6 Day Race Leader.  They swept me off the side of the course and started talking with me about my goals and assured me if I hung with them they would get me over my target of 200 miles.  Pablo was shooting for 250 miles, and Johnny?  Well, he was only gunning for the Swedish National 6 Day record!  I ran with them until the early morning hours until I had to pull over for another nap, I think I closed my eyes for another 90 or so minutes?  Sean left at 5a to drive to Brooklyn to fulfill a NYRR volunteer commitment.  His help was much appreciated.  Over 72 hours, the time spent looking for various gear, and clothes adds up, having someone in your tent to just grab and meet you the needed gear or nutrition, is so helpful!  THANK YOU SEAN.

I joined back up with Pablo and Johnny and we proceded to knock off more miles together.  They had a great run/walk strategy and Johnny was focusing on steady 13 min mile pace to maintain chase of the Swedish record.  By the end of day 2, 48 Hours of running, I had covered an additional 60 miles and my 2 day total was 151 miles.  I needed 50 more miles on the last day to surpass 200.

DAY 3 (Saturday, May 19th)

The rain had started up again early Saturday morning.  It was going to be mid 40's all day and nothing but rain.  My wife and 2 boys were going to come to the race midday and stay until the finish Sunday.  It would be the first time for the boys to sleep in a tent outdoors.

I had brought maybe 10 different waterproof/water repellent coats of various thicknesses.  No matter which one I wore, each coat would just get bogged down, wet and become cold. (I will add that my Foot Joy Golf Jacket was the best for repelling the water)  I saw many other runners wearing garbage bags, and was told by Pablo this was the best bet.  Most of Saturday I wore, a t-shirt, with a long sleeve shirt over it, with a garbage bag over the top of that, then a fleece, a rain jacket and then another garbage bag.  The idea is to keep your skin dry to avoid hypothermia.  This method was fantastic.  I poked some air holes for ventilation and my upper body stayed warm and dry!


Andrew's dad, Doug, showed up unexpectedly around noon and brought me a huge coffee and a McDonalds chicken club sandwich, just as Sandy and the boys arrived.  It was so great to see them.  By this point my body was broken, I was tired and I think pretty emotional.  I sat in the car with Doug and I vented about the miserable conditions and ate.  The boys got settled into the tent where they would pretty much stay until Sunday morning!

It was around 6pm on Saturday, I had logged 173 miles.  I stopped to eat another chicken sandwich, fries and a huge piece of chocolate and I noticed my ankle was really sore.

I looked down and realized it was swollen.  This was not good......After sharing the pic on Facebook, a concerned friend reached out, he was connected with an ankle/foot surgeon.  Based on a few more pics and some follow up questions, the "diagnosis" was synovitis.  Inflammation caused by synovial Joint fluid.  I put it up, took an alleve and iced it for about an hour.

I was told that If I couldn't feel my toes, then I would have a problem.  I could not rotate my ankle without help, couldn't point my toes, couldn't pull my toes up!  Time was running out.  I needed 28 miles in the remaining 14 hours to reach my goal.  My slowest walk, in pain, would probably be a 30 min mile.  So If I was going to go, and walk it in to the finish, 2 miles an hour for the next 14 hours, I needed to get back out there and get moving!!

I went back out on the course and started walking, then I picked up my knees and tried to jog. Jogging actually felt better but I had to adjust my foot strikes and leg rotation to alleviate the pain as much as possible, and get me the most speed (I use the word "speed" loosely!). 

At just about this time, up run Pablo and Johnny, telling me to join them again.  Pablo immediately asked what mile I was on and was doing the math to get me over 200.  He was always doing math, figuring out his laps, his breaks, his massages, his meals.  He was certain I could break 200.  I told them about my ankle, and the response I got was "yeah, that sometimes happens, what are you going to do about it?"

I guess I was going to run until I couldn't run anymore.

We ran together off and on, probably 8 or 9 of the last 14 hours.  I would join them, run 5 miles then have to sit for a few minutes, then I'd rejoin them on their next loop and run some more.  At one point, I had to cross in front of Johnny to avoid a puddle and Johnny tripped up on the back of my shoe.  We laughed (albeit briefly) about the headline the next day, "Stupid American injures Swedish runner, ruining his chances of setting new national record."  Thank god, no one got hurt, and Pablo and Johnny still pulled me along.  These guys were great, and honestly, if it was not for them, I may have quit the race when I was down the most.

The overnight hours on Saturday, were pretty consistent.  I'd run for 2 hours and then pull in for a 15 minute break, run for 2 hours and break.  I took 4 breaks of an hour or more, to put my feet up and eat.  I hit mile 201 at 6:40am Sunday morning, had a big breakfast from a local diner that Sandy brought me, a burrito and potatoes! I   Had over 2 hours to add to my PR.  I joined Pablo and Johnny in the final  few hours and ticked off 7 more miles, with the last mile, mile 208, run in 8:39, my fastest mile of the day.  So I did it.

Here was my Finish!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m02PvmSYXa0

I ran 208 miles in 72 hours.  Roughly 20 minutes per mile for 3 straight days.  I managed the rain, the pain, the sleep deprivation and sore muscles and achieved my goal.  But It's over now.  I don't have to deal with it again until my next race.  Andrew, who will be 9 in July, has to manage his life with the obstacles of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia everyday, and he doesn't get a break.  Life will throw him curveballs like a stomach bug, fever or broken bone.  These are not life threatening situations for you or I, but to Andrew, he can have an adrenal crisis if he doesn't manage these types of obstacles properly.  Thanks to your help, we raised over $11,000 for the CARES FOUNDATION to help others like Andrew navigate life with CAH.

www.caresfoundation.org                                                                                                                                                                  

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

DAY 1 - 91 miles

DAY 2 - 60 miles

DAY 3 - 58 miles

Anyone interested in looking at all the lap data it can be found here! 

2018 - 3 Days at the Fair lap data

Up next for me is a 100k road race in the Catskill Mtns. (NY), then the USATF 24 Hour National Championships in Cleveland in September.  This will be my 9th time running the Northcoast 24!

For those of you wondering how Johnny and Pablo finished------

Johnny set a new 6 day Swedish National Record, covering 547 miles in 144 hours.

Pablo finished first in the 3 day race covering 252 miles!

Here are Johnny and Pablo finishing together their last mile:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_6b4wMs68s

NOW TAKE A LAPP!

72 Hour Run for Andrew and CAH Awareness - 2017

When I was growing up, the phrase "take a lap" was something you never wanted to hear from your coach.  It usually meant you made a mistake, or you weren't listening during practice,  Coaches used the phrase and associated it with what they perceived to be a punishment, running a hard lap around the field.  If the coach didn't think you put in enough effort on that lap, he'd send you on another one, and you better run that one harder, or you'd go again.

I was often joked with by the kids on the playground because my last name is LAPP, they would think it was funny and chant "Take a lap, LAPP!"  35 years later, "take a lap" is exactly what I'm doing, and it's actually become something very positive in my life.

I run laps for fun.  A few times a year I run in fixed time races, running around a 1 mile loop course, over and over and over and over again, for what could be days at a time!  Whoever runs the most miles in the given amount of time (usually 24-72 hours) wins.  All for fun, but I use it as an opportunity to raise awareness and money for a disorder that affects our best friend's 7 year old son, Andrew.  The disorder is known as Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, aka CAH and the only organization in the US that is dedicated to those affected by CAH is the CARES FOUNDATION.

On Thursday, May 18th, 2017, I was to start the 3 DAYS AT THE FAIR race in Augusta, NJ.  But on the Wednesday night before the race, something horrible happened that had me contemplating pulling from the race all together.

We have a 2 year old golden-doodle named Abby.  Abby goes with me everywhere and is by my side all day, every day.
My plan the night before the race was to sleep in a hotel 5 miles from the race start, as Augusta, NJ is about 60 miles from where I live.  It would allow me to get a full night's sleep and be close to the start.  But that is not what happened.

I met my friend Karl Dostal at the hotel at 5:30p.  Karl drove in from Cincinnati to run the 3 day race for the first time.  Just as Karl and I were about to eat, my phone rang, and my wife Sandy, was crying hysterically saying that something had happened to her and our dog Abby.

While out on a walk, our Abby was attacked, pinned down and bitten by our neighbor's German Shepard, and she was bleeding badly.  Sandy was really shaken, as she did not let go of the leash and was dragged on the ground as well.  She was on her way to the animal hospital.  I immediately got in my truck and drove back home and met Abby and Sandy at the hospital where we stayed until 11pm, and then after she was discharged we stayed up all night with her.  She was in pain, and crying.  Wouldn't take her medicine.  When I laid by her side she would stop.  So, I laid with her on the hardwood floor for the entire night calming her by rubbing her chest.  (Abby's chest, not Sandy's :)

As I lay with Abby thoughts of dropping from the race crossed my mind.  Having no sleep going into the start of a 3 day race would not be good. I contemplated not running at all or maybe dropping down to the 48 hour race and sleeping all day Thursday.  But I had invested so much time in training for the race, I had to at least give it my best shot, despite no sleep.  Sandy approved and I left our house the morning of the race at 5:30am to drive to the start.  ***Side note:  Abby was in such bad shape, Sandy ended up taking her back to the hospital on Thursday, where she was admitted and stayed for 2 more nights.


Day 1 - Thursday, May 18, 2017

Karl and I set up a canopy tent to act as our aid station, and shelter in the event of rain, (or extreme sun) we could keep our stuff dry and get some shade.   I had plastic bins with all my changes of clothes, extra shoes, medical/nutritional supplies, supplements, electronics, chargers, charging blocks.  I brought a cot, sleeping bag, blanket.

Weather Report for Day 1 - High 95
40% humidity with heat index over 100 degrees.  Blue skies and Sun.  Lots and lots of Sun!!!!!


The race started at 9am on Thursday morning.  Karl and I agreed to each run our own race.  We each had planned different pacing strategies.  Certainly there would be times in the 3 days we would be able to run together. (and after all, the course was a loop, plenty of chances to see one another).  My goal was to try and run more than last year's 200 miles.

We started off slowly, running around a 10 minute per mile pace.  I carried fluids from the start in my handheld bottle.  Alternating between gatorade, water, coke, coconut water and watermelon juice!!!  I was diligently taking my electrolyte replacement pills and my sports legs.  We both completed the first 26 miles in 5 hours and 30 minutes, and by 4pm we had run 30 miles.  The heat was ridiculous.  We had coolers full of ice and I ran with an ice towel most of the day.  It was at this stage that Karl and I started to really separate.  The heat was sucking the life out of  us.  We were constantly thirsty and were drinking nonstop, but not eating.  We were both nauseous from the heat.  Karl went to his car and cooled down with the AC, I  joined him for a few minutes.


At this point, I lose track of Karl.  I headed back out and continued to run well into the night.  I took my first sleep break at 11pm and slept in the back of my truck until 12:30am. Using the alarm on my phone to wake me up.  I left the truck and ran until 3am and then slept again until 4:30am.

I don't remember much about that first night.  I didn't have any hallucinations (yet).  It didn't cool down much as the night progressed.  it had to have been high 70's low 80's overnight.  When you run in circles and pass the same things over and over, things get blurry.  I don't know what I thought about.  I do know that I would pick out markers on the course and run to them, and take short walk break, run to the next mark and walk again.  I tried to listen to music, but it was too noisy.
By the end of the first 24 hours (Day 1) I had run 75 miles.

DAY 2 - Friday, May 19, 2017

Weather Report:  High temp in the high 80's low 90's / nothing but sun!

I had 48 hours left to run 125 miles and reach my 200 mile goal.  Could I cover 65 miles on day 2 and 60 more on day 3?????  Our ice was all melted and all I could think about were ice cold drinks and I was dreading the day as the sun rose over us.  As soon as the sunshine hit my skin the morning of day 2,  I felt my skin burn from the previous day's exposure and I had those sun related goosebumps. Sunscreen fail.  Karl and I hooked up again on day 2.  He was rested and no longer nauseous.  It was around this time that I decided to change to a newer pair of shoes.  I went with another pair of the exact model I was wearing.  Bad decision.  Not all shoes are made exactly the same.  Neither of us had anything substantial to eat at this point in the morning of Day 2.  Then, out of nowhere, I hear Sandy's voice, and through my pollen clouded contact lenses, I see Sandy carrying carryout bags and a drink tray!  She had surprised us with Fried Chicken sandwiches, french fries, pickles and a chocolate milk shakes from a local diner, and a large mocha iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts.  Karl and I were in heaven.  We gorged on our food, and sat in our chairs unable to move when we were finished.  I think it was before noon.

I took an alleve and laid down on my cot under our canopy for about 30 minutes. Didn't really sleep, or close my eyes, just checked in with social media, before heading out again.  And I believe it was at this point that I checked on an annoying pain in my right shoe.  Low and behold my first blister, around 30 or so hours into the race.

The next goal of Day 2 was to get to 100 miles by 7pm and then I would sleep.  Andrew's dad, Doug Zehner, was going to join me in the race at 9pm and was to pace me, and keep me company until 9am.  I made it to 100 miles by 7pm and slept on my cot until Doug arrived.  And we were off and running.  By this point, I was really tired and I think I was able to run with Doug for about 3 hours, before I had to tap out for a sleep break again.  We each went to our cars.  I was up again at around 1:30am, back out running for a few more hours.  I know we went back to sleep again, I think around 4am, again for 90 minutes. Always sleeping no longer than 90 minutes.

Doug Zehner (Andrew's Dad)

By the end of Day 2, I had run an additional 54 miles and had completed 129 total miles.

Thank you Doug for the company!!!!  If I had taken a picture of Doug this year during the race, I would have put it here:    Instead I will use stock footage:

Day 3 - Saturday, May 20, 2017

Weather Report:  high of 70, much cooler, mostly cloudy.  Ideal running conditions.

I need to run 71 miles on Day 3 to reach my 200 mile goal.  It became clearer that my goal had slipped out of reach.

When you  run a marathon, you  get a nice medal.  When you run an ultra race of 100 miles or longer you get a BELT BUCKLE.  I've got a nice little collection of 8 buckles.  The 3 day Race has various belt buckle targets, 101 mile buckle, 200 mile buckle and a 303 mile buckle.  (yes there are a few people that have run over 303 miles in 72 hours in previous year, Not this year though!).

So with that in mind, no matter if you run 102 miles or 199 miles, you still only get the 101 mile buckle.  That was sticking with me.  I began to question myself.  What difference does it make anymore? I'm not going to get 200, why even go any further????

Doug left Saturday morning, but  I was still running.  I set a target of running 21 more miles to get to 150 total miles. I was spent.  A nice round, respectable number, and then I would re-evaluate my goals, and maybe even QUIT and drink beer the rest of the day.

I had never quit a race before.  I was tired, stomach muscles ached, my traps and lats ached from holding my head and arms up.  The more I thought about it, 150 seemed like a good stopping point.

Although the temps were cooler, I trudged on and around 6pm on Day 3, I had conquered 150 miles.  I went right to my car, set my alarm for 2 hours and rolled around in the backseat contemplating my next move.  I couldn't sleep, I kept thinking to myself, "I don't quit, I don't quit", so I got out of the car and walked.

It was much cooler now and I needed to put on a sweatshirt.  I went back and forth, quit or keep going??, and before I knew it, I was back running until 10pm and was now at 160 miles.  Certainly that was a much more respectable number, and I think I could live with it.  I walked to my car at 10:07pm (I checked my facetime records) and I Face-timed my crew chief in Ohio, my brother-in-law, Mike, to tell him that I was going to quit.  I don't know what I was thinking, Mike would never let me quit.  He's crewed me through five 100+ mile finishes in Cleveland, and he has strict instructions, that under no circumstance can he let me quit, only for a serious medical condition.  But I called him anyway.  It was like I wanted him to tell me I had done a good job and that enough was enough.  But I just wanted to sit down and have some beers and just watch people finish.  Mike didn't answer my call.  (Mike always answers my calls during a race,)  Then a switch went off in my head.

I had listened to a Rich Roll podcast when he interviews a former Navy Seal, ultra runner, real bad ass David Goggins.  The toughest dude on earth.   I had been following David for a few years in the ultra running world and had seen a few interviews with him.  I read a book by Jesse Itzler:  "Living with a SEAL".  Jesse writes about the 31 days he hired, lived and trained with David Goggins. This man's life story is a motivating and I like his style.  I decided to re-listen to the podcast and see if his words could reignite me.  http://www.richroll.com/podcast/david-goggins/  I pulled it up on my phone and started walking.  It took about 30 minutes before I was able to dial into his message again.  Hearing him talk and his attitude about life really helped me push through the final miles.

One of my favorite quotes, by David Goggins, that resonated with my current situation.  "I don't stop when I'm tired, I stop when I'm done."  

I was running a 72 hour race, not a 62 hour race.  I needed to keep moving regardless of whether or not I was going to run 200 miles and get the 200 mile buckle, I was running to finish the 72 Hour race that I had started.

I have a tendency to hallucinate at some point during a multi day race.  It was early in the morning on the third day this year when It happened.  Call it sleep deprivation, or just a wild imagination.  One year I swear I saw giant California Raisins singing into their microphones on the course.  (turned out to be 2 big garbage cans on stilts).   Another year, every time I reached this point on the course I would see the silhouette of a cowboy leaning against a tree with his hat tilted down watching me.  This year, as the giant, crescent moon appeared overnight and rose in the sky, I swear it was the Big Mac tonight Moon from the 80's McDonalds' commercial and he was telling me to keep running.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diu2qMYYL3c

I ran for a few more hours, until 4am and crawled back into my truck to sleep for another 90 minutes.  I had run around 170 miles at this point by 5:30am.

This would be a much better story if I told you that I made it to 200 miles, but I didn't. Over the last 3.5 hours I covered an additional 12 miles. Considering the temperatures of the first 2 days, I consider finishing the 72 Hour race with 182 miles a victory, and it was good enough for 5th place overall.  Thank you Mike for not taking my call.......

Overall, despite the suffering and the heat, I had a good race.  The wheels did not fall off.  We raised a lot of money for the CARES FOUNDATION so they can help people like Andrew, navigate living with the disorder known as CAH.

One more of my favorite quotes from David Goggins that everyone should put to memory.  When you are hurting or down on yourself:  “Whatever you got going on, someone else has more pain. You gotta learn how to fight through it. No matter what it is… Think about someone else and take a suck-shit pill.” 

I earned another 101 mile buckle from the 3 Days at the Fair race and added to my lifetime miles at the race, surpassing 500 miles to earn the 500 mile coin.  Next milestone would be the 1000 mile coin.  ( I have 666 lifetime miles...ooh that's not good, maybe I should have eeked out 1 more mile).  And there is a certain buckle I wouldn't mind getting, and that would require running the 6 day race.............the 303 mile Buckle?????  stay tuned.........

3 Day Total:  182 Miles

Day 1 - 75 Miles

Day 2 - 54 Miles

Day 3 - 53 Miles

What did I eat while running for 3 days???

Strawberries/Blueberries/Cantaloupe/Watermelon/Bananas
3 slices of Pizza
lots of Rice in Chicken Broth
Mashed Potatoes
1 Hot Dog
Bacon Egg Sandwich
Cheese Quesadillas
Mini Snickers
Pringles
Chicken Stir Fry

How many pairs of Shoes???

I literally brought 15 pairs of shoes that I have raced in over the years, All Hoka One One but different models.  I ran in 3 pairs of shoes this year.  I started in my Hoka One One Vanquish 3, then switched to a different pair of the same shoe (which gave me a blister.  The shoe I wore the longest was the Bondi 5's

Sleep?

Yes I did sleep.  based on my watch  data I think I slept about 3 hours per day.  Never more than a 90 minute break.  I did take rest breaks to get my feet up and lay down and eat.  You can't accumulate miles when you're sleeping, but then again, you can't run effectively if you don't get sleep.


PS.  My puppy Abby is doing better as I type this.  Her stitches and the drain were removed yesterday.  But we will have a lot of work to do with the trainer to get over the psychological damage that goes along with being a victim of an attack.

72 HOUR RUN for ANDREW and CAH AWARENESS

Thursday morning at 9am I started to run for 3 straight days........What was I thinking?

I'm not going to argue with anyone that says I might be a little obsessed with running long distances, or maybe I'm a little crazy.  The fact, is I am crazy!  and I don't think of my running as a problem, I think of my running as more of a solution!

From what I can remember about the last 3 days, (and believe me when i tell you), I don't remember much. I can tell you, that any problems or stress I had going into the race, were gone for 3 days, and that was great.  The only thing I thought about was completing another mile.

PERSONAL AID STATION

Thursday started out nice and cool at the start,low 40's with lots of sun.  We had set up my personal aide station a day early in a primo location, under a tree (good for extra cover during the impending rain and shade during the hottest parts of the day).

I went into the race with a few goals.  Last year I ran 156 miles in the 48 hour race.  I went out too fast, running over 100 miles in the first 24 hours, which hindered my performance during the 2nd day.

So the plan for the 72 hour run would be to take it easy on the first day, I obviously would need some gas in the tank for 2 additional days of running.  The constant mantra I would repeat to myself:  "this is a 3 day race, not a 1 day race."  My stretch goal was to run 216 miles, so I could earn a coveted spot in the 3 Days at the Fair 500 Mile club.  My fall back goal was 200 miles, and then my worst possible scenario would be to finish with 185 miles.

DAY 1 (Thursday, May 12 - 9am)

I started the race running with my high school friend Karl for the first 4 or 5 hours, which essentially was the first marathon of the day.  The sun was blazing, there was no shade on the 1 mile loop course.  I was sweating quite a bit and my navy blue shirt showed layers and layers of dried salt.  I was losing a lot of sodium, which if not taken care of early, could be the beginning of the end.

2:00pm - THURSDAY

It was a good reminder for me to keep hydrated.  So for most of the next 65 or so hours I carried a handheld bottle full of liquid, primarily gatorade.  Sometimes Gatorade mixed with water, occasionally straight up water, or water mixed with a little cranberry juice.

The heat had taken its toll on Karl, and at mile 24 he had to drop from the race, showing severe signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration.  He would spend the better part of the next 18 hours recovering, and stayed on as part of my crew.  Karl is a numbers guy, and he became an integral part of getting me to my goal  and setting my hourly pace!


According to some of my notes, because like I said, I don't remember much.  I believe I took a 30 minute nap around dinner time (my wife, Sandy, had delivered hamburgers, fries and chocolate milkshakes from a local diner) which I ate and then closed my eyes on the cot for a few minutes.

8:30am - FRIDAY

I got up and hit the 50 mile mark around 8pm.  I believe my first real sleep came overnight around 1am.  I stayed underneath the canopy and slept on the cot for 90 minutes.  Making sure I set the alarm to the loudest level.  Karl set an alarm for backup.  I woke and hit the pavement again.  By the end of 24 hours, I had covered 82 miles.  It was at this point, 24 Hours into a 72 hour race, that I started to have some doubts.  I grabbed some coffee and prepared myself for day 2.  How could i possibly keep up this up for 2 more days.  I would need more sleep and would have to run harder.

DAY 2 (Friday, May 13 - 9am)

I can't remember.  I really don't remember.  I know all the talk in the morning was about RAIN. When was the rain going to come?

1pm - FRIDAY

1pm - FRIDAY

I crossed mile 100 at 1:05pm and took a few minutes to rest.  

The rain arrived around 3pm on Friday, nice steady downpour with some wind.  I broke out the rain gear and sloshed on.  Can't remember how long it rained, but it was quite a few hours. 

4:30pm - FRIDAY

Dinner on Friday - Sandy brought a turkey club sandwich from the diner, which I ate and then I slept for 90 minutes in the car, from 6:30p-8pm.  I remember this because I was prepping for the arrival of my friend Doug, who was going to run (trudge) through the night with me.  Doug is Andrew's dad,

Doug arrived just before 9pm.  I believe when Doug arrived I was at 110 or 115 miles.  I had registered him for the 12 hour event, so he checked in and was given a chip.  The race discourages non-registered runners acting as pacers, so registering him, and paying the entry fee was a way to circumvent that rule.

2:29am - SATURDAY

Doug stayed by my side throughout the night.  The overnight hours get rough.  It's cold and quiet, and lonely.  Having Doug there was a huge advantage for me.  I believe we took a scheduled 90 minute break around 1am.  I remember waking up about an hour into my sleep and I got up and just walked.  This selfie was time stamped for 2:29am Saturday morning.

By 9am Saturday morning my total mileage was 

141 miles.  I had covered 59 miles in Day 2.

At this point, 48 hours in, (2 days of running), I was at 141 miles.  I had slept roughly  3.5 hours in 2 days.  I began to assess my goals and unless I developed super human strength, 216 was going to be out of reach.  I knew I would have some left in the final few hours, but it was not going to be possible to put in 75 miles on the 3rd day.  But could I duplicate day 2, and cover 59 more miles to get me to an even 100???????  Karl grabbed a pad of paper and began scribbling.  I did a few more miles, and when I stopped back into the tent, he had mapped out the next 24 hours of running for me, and it included sleep breaks.

DAY 3 (Saturday, May 14)

9am - SATURDAY

Sandy returned Saturday morning with my boys and dog, Abby!  It was great to see them, it felt like it had been weeks.  Provided me some good motivation and was able to run until around 1pm.  Karl had left earlier Saturday morning, and Doug left as soon as Sandy arrived.

1pm - SATURDAY

Then it started to get ugly.......I look like I've been pummeled by a UFC Fighter.

Look at this face:----->

I took another nap, and I know it was only a nap based on the picture, because by this point, if I was going to get any substantial sleep, I did it in the back of the Yukon truck.

1:45pm - SATURDAY

Saturday afternoon, around 5pm, the rain clouds rolled in again,  When it I had covered 160 miles, more than 6 marathons with 16 hours left to run.

4:45pm - SATURDAY

At 9:45pm, I was at 170 miles, and had started the death march and posted a delirious video mumbling about my double chin and that I needed 30 more miles in 11 hours, to reach 200 miles.  At that point, all I could do was walk.  Everything hurt.  My legs were so tight, if you would have poken them with a safety pin, I'm convinced they would have exploded like a water balloon.

I stayed out on the course until around 2am, crawled into the truck with Sandy, and went to sleep, for what was supposed to be 90 minutes, but turned into roughly 2.5 hours (darn snooze button) I jumped up at 4:45am, in a panic.  I was sitting at 182 miles, and needed to run 18 more miles in the final 4 hours. but at the pace I was running last, there was no way I was going to make it to 200 miles.

From 5:16am to 7:16am I had covered over 10 miles.  Comparably,  On an average day of training, I would run 10 miles around Central Park in about 1 hour and 20 minutes.  So was I moving fast?  NO, but I was moving at a pretty good clip, considering.

The end was in site.  I wanted to get to 200 so badly.  Tears were coming to my eyes, as I fought hard to hold them back.  Andrew and his mother Katherine arrived early Sunday morning to see me finish!  It was a great surprise and motivator to get through the last few miles.

Andrew ran across the finish line with me at 8:40am Sunday morning.  71 hours and 40 minutes after the start Thursday morning - 200 MILES in the books.

DAY 1 = 82 Miles
DAY 2 = 59 Miles
DAY 3 = 59 Miles

Next year?????  6 Days????????

watch the video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiR1tnTDZOg

THE 2015 NORTHCOAST 24 HOUR RACE - "Chad's Run for CAH and CARES FOUNDATION"

Saturday, September 19, the alarm went off at 4:45am in my room at the Marriott - Downtown Cleveland.  My brother-in-law (and crew chief) Mike Niegowski and I were quick to get out of bed and get to the coffee.  We weren't quite sure of the weather conditions, we anticipated a wet day and wanted to make sure we were able to get to Edgewater Park by 6:15am, while there was still a break in the weather, so we could set up our canopy and personal aid station. Based on previous experiences, it is not fun setting up in the rain prior to a 24 hour run!

By 7:15am, Mike and I were set up and I sat down to eat my pre-race breakfast, consisting of Lucky Charms with chocolate milk and a PBJ uncrustable sandwich.  I applied the necessary lubricants to every crevice of my being and rested under the canopy as it started to drizzle and the winds picked up.

The 2015 Northcoast 24 Hour Race, was the USATF National Championship Race.  The best Ultrarunners in the country would be lining up to run as many miles as possible within the 24 hours. Any man that is a member of the USATF that runs more than 140 miles, could qualify for a spot on the USA National 24 Hour Running team, which competes every year in the World Competition.  My goal was to run 123 laps around the .90073 mile loop, which would equate to 110 miles and a PR for me.  Each lap would be dedicated to an individual who was impacted by Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia or the CARES FOUNDATION.  But I also dedicated laps to others that were supportive of my running addiction.  I wore their names on the back of my TEAM CARES shirt.   This would serve as motivation for me as the race became more difficult.  T-shirts can be purchased here:  https://www.booster.com/24-hour-run-for-cah-and-cares-foundation

At 9am, the sirens blared and we were all on our way.  For me, this was the 6th year in a row to run the NC24.  Every year running more and more miles.  Last year running 107 miles  and setting my PR.. 

About 2 hours into the race my upper right calf developed a really sore strain, unlike anything I had ever experienced before, it was affecting my stride, but I made some adjustments to accomodate the pain.  Shortly thereafter, my hamstrings began screaming, aching and throbbing and I was still less than a marathon into the race.  I wasn't sure if it was going to be my day.  I hadn't had a full nights sleep in 2 weeks (thanks to our new puppy!) I was so tired. I began to have thoughts of quitting. Thinking to myself that even the most elite runners can have an off day and DNF (Did Not Finish).  Never this early in an Ultra had I had these thoughts.  I had put in so many training miles, had traveled so far, quitting could not possibly be an option. 

It was the thoughts of the names that I wore on the back of my shirt that gave me the motivation to keep moving forward.  I didn't want to let anyone down.  I had to keep running.  My brother-in-law, Mike and my college roommate Brian and his daughter, were great motivators and crew as well. They made sure I had what i needed, from food, to supplements, to dry running gear.

I completed my first marathon (26.2 miles) of the day in 4 hours and 30 minutes.  The wind was really picking up and was a steady 20-30mph coming off Lake Erie into our faces.  Then it started with drizzle, and for what seemed like most of the afternoon, we were wet. 

I trudged on.  12 hours and  15 minutes into the race i had completed 60 miles - over 2 marathons. (my personal best for a 12 hour race is 65 miles - so maybe I was going out a little too fast.......again.)

Miles 60-80 were probably the most brutal.  The overnight hours.  Between 10p and 4am.  Time just dragged.  

I began to have foot problems.  Developed a blister on the inside of my big toe, but nothing a little moleskin couldn't fix. My pace slowed and my goals were starting to get out of reach. 

I think it must have been around 1am.  My legs were so tight I had to make a pit stop to get stretched out by the medical team.  For their notes they asked me what they were treating me for?  my answer?  MY LEGS ARE GOING TO EXPLODE!  While laying on the table being twisted and pulled in every direction by a sports doctor, minutes were ticking off the clock.  I had intended to run 110 miles.  With 9 hours left to go I would have to make a goal adjustment. My legs were not moving as quickly and there was no way I could keep up the pace I needed to get to 110 miles, so Getting to 100 miles became the new objective.




Lap after lap, ticking off the miles.  Around mile 85, I pulled back into the medical tent for another stretch to get me through to the finish. The sun was coming up which provided a little pick me up. When the final horn blared, I bent over and placed my marker on the course, to get credit for a partial lap.  I had finished.





It's never easy.  Nothing worth having comes easy right?  There will always be obstacles in a race of this distance, there will always be ups and downs.  Lots of downs.....Lots of downs.  If you put your mind to something you can certainly will yourself to do anything.  2 hours in to this race my legs weren't having it.  But my MIND wanted it.  This race was the biggest mental challenge I've faced.  So despite the fact I didn't reach my goal of running 110 miles, I still ran pretty damn far under some not so great conditions.  So I will savor this race for a little while, be proud of myself, until I start back training again for the next race.  Stay tuned.

Prelim: RESULTS:  114 laps = 102.9624 miles
24th place Overall out of 163 runners
19th Male out of 111 male runners
4th in my Male 40-44 age group out of 23.