The Adventure That Was 2010

I only need one sentence for an introduction into the recap of the adventure that was this year:

2010 was a direct result of the fire in my blood created by my DNF at the Lake Anna Triple Iron.
The older I get, the more I realize how true the old saying "everything happens for a reason" is. I used to hate that saying, but that DNF was the best thing to happen to me.

I spent only a couple weeks with my tail between my legs after the Virginia 3x.
After I was healed, I went right to work at Northern PT.
Troy put together a collection of exercises that would prevent the injury from happening again.

Mortland and I kicked off the New Year with an Overnight Treadmill 50 Mile Run in mid-january. It was mind-numbing. I said I would never do it again, but I cannot guarantee that anymore. It was a good mental toughness exercise.

A couple of months later in March, I agreed to do a winter Death Race. I made it through the first night in some tough cold, lugging logs up a mountain with no snowshoes among other things, and after realizing that it wasn't actually a run, but a task-oriented race, I dropped. I simply wasn't prepared for that type of race.
Funny, I told the TV cameras I wouldn't do it again, but that was technically a DNF...and that makes me want to go back.

In May, I attempted a 100 mile run at the same venue in Vermont, and experienced one of the strangest weather events of my entire life. The race started in the morning, in cold and pouring rain. As the day went on, the course turned into shin-deep mud all the way around. For some reason, I had no energy, and dropped around 35 miles in, opting to drink beer with Sperv and Anneliese. We sat on top of the mountain, helping other racers. The afternoon saw thunderstorms, then freezing temperatures, then hail, and snow with driving winds.

Only a couple weeks later, as part of the Northern PT team, I used the Aroostook Relay For Life as a training event...running 50 miles through the night on a quarter mile track. This was one of my favorite events, because I got to blend my favorite activity with my favorite people. To run all night, with some company with friends here and there throughout the night, was just awesome.

10 days later, I attempted to run a 200 mile relay solo. All of the previous racing turned out to be too much, and I only made it 55 miles before having some pretty big IT band problems, dropping. Nevertheless had a super weekend with Nicole and my mom, bar hopping in Killington.

By this time, I had transitioned to living in a tent, because I knew money would be tight for my races later in the year.
I spent the summer living everywhere.
Anywhere I felt like staying. I also became very close with people who opened their homes to me on numerous occasions.

The next event was 24 Hours Of Great Glen in August. I went there with great confidence, having done a lot of ultra cycling, and was humbled. Only 13 hours into the event I was TOASTED. Mountain biking is a lot different than road cycling, that's for sure! Nevertheless, I REALLY enjoyed that event, despite my lackluster performance. Didn't matter, really. I don't care about results...just finishing the goal events.

September was the Double Iron. Battled some heat and a crappy attitude to finish injury-free, which was the ultimate goal. The perfect primer for the BIG event.

I used the next 2 months to wrap my head around a Quintuple Iron, and make the necessary training adjustments.
Turns out, the mental preparation worked, because it hurt a lot less than I thought it would. There was never any doubt during the 5x that I wouldn't be back for the Deca in 2011.

The amount I learned about training and racing this year is just out of this world, and I cannot wait to apply it to next year, when I will actually try to RACE the events, not simply finish.
I still continue to battle the balance of life. While it would be nice to train full time and not work, that is just not a feasible option. The bills must get paid, and ultra events don't exactly get you rich.

2010 was easily one of the best years of my life.
Following three tough years, I guess it was time for it.
Thank you all so much for your support, and thanks for reading!

krp

Coming of Age in Monterrey: The Quintuple Report

It's 7:30 on a warm evening in Mexico.

My eyes and face burn from extended chlorine exposure.
It's a challenge to hold my tired body up on my bike, while I attempt to follow the police car through Monterrey- my escort from pool to race course.

I've just swum 12 miles and am now preparing my mind to race for the next 5 days.

I pass an armed guard every hundred feet during the mile from the pool to the Olympic Training Center, and each one mumbles something into his two-way radio, probably saying "He's here", or "He's on his way to you".

The police escort signals for me to go left, I enter through a gate, coast 150 yards, and the sudden realization that it's going to be a long week sets in.
I won't be leaving this course for a while.

Before I start the 560 mile bike ride, I grab my MP3 player, a few drinks that I pre-made before the race, and snag some beans and rice from the kitchen located directly off the course.

I pedal around the course for a few hours, trying to mentally relax my arms and shoulders, which are totally spent from the swim.
Not being able to use MP3 players in the USA, the new feeling of being in an event with my own music in my ears is a HUGE boost.
I'm rapping and swearing out loud and loving every minute of it. Probably the other guys are thinking,"Who is this crazy American?!"

Around midnight, I'm pretty tired and itchy still from the chlorine, so I choose to run up to my dorm room- only a hundred yards from the course- for a nice shower and nap.

Set my alarm for 3am. 2.5 hours sleep, right? Wrong.
I sleep through the alarm and bolt upright at 6am.
Make that 5.5 hours of sleep.

I think, Shit. Nothing to worry about really. It's so early in the event that probably the extra sleep will help me long-term.

DAY 2
I grab some breakfast from the kitchen and jump on my bike, knowing today is going to be one loooooooooooooong day.
It's surprisingly cold compared to what I expected. Maybe high 40s or low 50s.
As the sun comes up, the course(which is not closed to the public) starts filling up with runners, bikers, and rollerbladers.
And ducks... which have an uncanny habit of ambling across the course every morning around 8. They have ZERO fear of anyone, and there are near-collisions every lap and every day until 9 or 10am.
Jorge, the Race Director, had mentioned them at the Opening Ceremonies: "I can't control them. It is nature. If you hit them, we will cook them!"
Excellent.

Every hour and a half to two hours, I have to stop, make my own drinks, and get my own food.
By tonight(night two), I find this to be extremely time intensive and very counter-productive.

In regards to being crewless, normally I would be just getting into a rhythm and feeling great, when I would have to stop.
Getting back into the same mindstate is never easy.
A few other teams(Team Kurtz and Griesen) helped me out here and there, but I could definitely see the benefit of having a crew.

I ride some more, and again retire to the dorm room; this time around 4am.
Shower.
Sleep for an hour and half, and I'm back at it.

DAY 3
Another long day on the bike ahead.
My morale isn't that good. I know that I have to go through at least one more night of cycling.

Most times, I consider myself a night owl...but knowing that I am about to spend the next 22 hours on my bike saddle, with my ass already sore, isn't the best mood-lifter.

Not an easy day. My neck is tired. My hands going numb. My legs feel ok, but overall body and mental fatigue are definitely setting in.

The night is exponentially worse.
I'm frustrated every time I have to dismount for food and drink...for a number of reasons.
1) Everytime I get off the bike, I'm not going forward.
2) My rhythm and mental state gets broken.
3) Removing my aching ass from the saddle hurts, but putting it BACK ON the saddle is 20 times worse.

Wayne Kurtz, racing the Deca, rolls up to me around 11pm and we talk for a while. It's great to finally meet him and chat. We discover that we have a lot in common.
By 2am, I'm smoked, so I opt to hit the room for a shower and nap.

Day 4
An hour and a half of sleep, and all of a sudden, I'm happy again...mostly because I know that this is the morning I finish the bike.

By 4am I'm back on the course, with a bowl of last night's beans and potatoes stuck between my aerobars. By this point, I've mastered the art of eating full meals while pedaling away.
I've got Deca guys asking me every couple laps,"How long 'til you're done the bike?" They all look at me funny when I tell them I have no idea.
The whole week, I've made it a point to NOT know where I'm at mileage-wise. Mostly because in my head, I don't want to know until I'm close to done.
It's a good thing.
Less mind games with myself, calculating and extrapolating lap times.

Around 11am, I know I've got to be close.
The timing dudes confirm this, and I just start going nuts. I'm so excited to be getting off the bike that I start ripping off 3:30 laps. I get so caught up in the moment that I actually finish the bike and start doing another lap without realizing it. After a half lap, they cut across the course and tell me I'm all done.

Cool.
I take my time, eat a good meal, and change into my running gear.
My mood is super high, but tempered by the fact that now I have to run twice as far as I ever have before.

When I think of the bike, I think of miserable nights. Remembering the run, it was afternoons that hurt the most because of the extreme heat.

This first afternoon sets the tone for the rest of them. It is HOT.

I run for about 4 hours before sitting under the tent for a few minutes with a number of drinks and food... just trying to get cool and counting the seconds until sundown.

Completely SICK of beans, rice, and insect-covered food, I order a big salty pizza from Domino's and run until it arrives.
Once there, I fill a bottle with Powerade, grab the entire box of pepperoni and ham Americana, and have the happiest lap of the entire race.
To say it tastes amazing would be the biggest understatement in the history of the world. The Danish Team gets a kick out of the whole scene, and somehow a picture of me with the pizza that they take ends up in a Danish newspaper.

For the first night of running, I just focus on being happy. I do a bunch of laps with Nick Mallett from Australia, which is great because he is coming off the bike and because of that, in a really good mood.
Sometimes I'm annoyed by other people in good spirits, but tonight it's contagious.

At 4am, I hit the tent for a quick nap.

Day 5
Another 1.5 hours of sleep, and this time, I really am not enthused about starting my day. I get some crappy coffee from the kitchen and sit down to a breakfast of about 4 million pancakes.
My policy when I'm not happy is "Eat everything until morale improves."

It kind of works this time.
I don't remember a lot about Day 5... only that it was long and hot and my feet were beginning to swell.
Every couple of laps I would lay down for 5 minutes with my feet up. It seemed to do the trick in the short term.

By nightfall, I just want to be done. I make a mental commitment to myself to not sleep, because sleeping means not moving forward...and what the heck, I can't feel much worse anyways.

At 4am, my feet are aching terribly. It's not a muscular thing.
I can feel it in my bones. I take off my shoes and my feet seem to just balloon out. All I can envision is a million little stress fractures.
No way I'm going anywhere for a while.

Knowing I only have another marathon left, I sleep for a good 3 hours.
Despite my feet aching, I'm kind of happy.
I figure I could be done by noon or 1pm.
A 5 hour marathon should be easy, right??
Wrong.

That last marathon was the physical equivalent of nails down a chalkboard.
Every step hurt worse than the next.

As noon rolls around, I realize that a finish is still hours away. My mind and body are so tired. It is impossible to focus on the fact that I am DEFINITELY going to finish; I can only focus on the fact that I'm not finishing NOW.

I spend a good two hours being a miserable prick. I am angry at not being done, and being kind of irrational, that is, until out of nowhere, I realize that I am within 10 miles of the finish line.
All of a sudden, my legs and feet and shitty attitude don't matter anymore.
I put the hammer down and don't stop for drink or food or bathroom breaks.

On my second to last lap, I see Wayne on his bike, and ask if I can use his American flag to take on my last lap around. Obviously he says yes.
His crewman Rick hands it to me and I start crying immediately, because I know within the next fifteen minutes, this whole journey is going to be over.

The last lap is still surreal, 2 and a half weeks later.

All of the bikers in the Deca and Double Deca are whistling and congratulating me and just making a huge raucous.
Everything that happened within the last year ebb and flow through my mind.
The sacrifices financially and socially.
The tent living.
The couch crashing.
Everyone and everything that had gotten me to this point.

Wayne stops mid lap to give me a hug. A couple minutes later, Eileen does too.
The last half mile, I run some, walk a little, laugh, cry, and take it all in.
It's a celebration of the event...the whole year, actually, and crossing the finish line is a culmination of it all.

While I have larger plans for 2011, I know that this finish will always be one of the most special because during the year leading up to the event, I learned who my real friends were, and how much a community of friends and family can help one person achieve their goals.

I will always remember what people did for me to get to Monterrey. What a year.

krp

Maybe I didn't realize the longterm implications of the Tentman Experience.

I've just spent the last 5 nights in a Seattle hotel.
Comfortable beds, but wow.

Sleeping in a bed messes with my body. My back is stiff. My shoulder hurts.
Is it sleeping in a bed, or not training much the last few days? I dunno.
I'm just glad I have Northern PT to right all my wrongs. Very excited to get there on wednesday, catch up with Troy and the gang, and get some work done.

The Big Race is but a mere 20 days away. Gotta train REALLY hard this week.

I've done the planning, the training, answered all the questions, and yet... The gravity of what I'm about to attempt has not sunk in yet.

People ask if I'm getting excited. I will generally say yes, but more than anything, the underlying emotion is fear and focus.

I went to the Lake Anna 3x last year pretty much thinking I could do anything I wanted. Limits were found, and my body came apart.

Knowing that I am not invincible has given me a different take from last year as I make my final preparations for Monterrey.

I must be more organized, and more mature in my attitude towards the distance. Respect.
Being crewless, the need to stay mentally sharp in order to feed myself correctly will be critical.
I guess this means less sleepwalking.

Fear and focus.
I think I'm in the right frame of mind.

krp

Free For the Taking

FREE to a good home:
Race Nightmares.
Come take them off my hands.

Last night, I was in a Double Iron in Africa.
It included a gnarly obstacle course in the middle of the run, and I got the bright idea to do it barefoot. Blood was gushing out of my feet, and everyone but me was concerned about it, until I passed out from blood loss.
Race: Over.

Let's see, what else is free?
A couple of publications doing stories on your's truly.
The Country Courier in central Maine, and a free Sports paper up here in Aroostook County.

I'm finding that what I love the most about the exposure has nothing to do with me. In honesty, it feels weird to have my ugly mug and name posted on stuff.

It is very cool to give my friends and family who've sponsored me some free advertising, and know that I could be helping their businesses out through my exploits. I'm having a lot of fun with it, and look forward to getting more efficient and better at it.

Just getting to the 5x is an extreme challenge... With the high risk of injury during training, expenses, and life in general.
I feel like with all of this support, compounded by being the only USA representative, there's no way I can fail.
ONE MONTH UNTIL RACE TIME

ramble on

I've been glued to the live results at the double/triple this weekend. Congrats to Beat from Switzerland for just winning the Triple. I get to meet/race with him in the 5x in Mexico.
Also nice to see homeboys Sauerbrey, Kurtz, and Pasceri throwing down.
NO WAY I'm not going down to the 3x next year.
Gotta get that monkey off my back for sure.

Not much has changed.
The plane ticket to Mexico is bought, and I'm continuously bloated, like roadkill in the hot sun as I attempt to gain weight for the big race.

It's definitely harder to gain weight than I thought, but I have learned something important from all this over-eating.
Even though I'm constantly feeling the need to purge in one direction or the other, I have more energy from day to day when I train. More power.
Also, there's less daily bonking...which was always a problem.

Could it be possible I haven't been eating enough all along.. or am I just getting stronger as my muscles rebuild from the Double Iron?

Both? Either way, you can bet I'm going to keep at it and see what happens.

35 days away now.

I will have no crew, which will not make it any easier...but it can be done. More stops though. I'll look at it as an advantage. Don't want to get horned up and go too hard on the bike.

Crunch time.

seriously? seriously

Well, I'm pretty much recovered from the 2x.

Let me spin you a tale of the next 3 weeks of my life:
Eat. Lift. Eat. Lift. Eat. Loooooong workout, eat.
Swim.
No sleep.

It is time to drop the hammer down. Hard.

I need to gain at least 8-15 pounds, so that my body doesn't completely eat itself by day 3 of the Quintuple.
Even after the Double Iron, Troy at Northern PT couldn't believe how much smaller my legs got..just from that race.

Ha, imagine it. I have to gain weight, but at the same time complete the longest bike ride, and longest swim that I ever have done-just for training.
Add to that an enhanced metabolism from sleep deprivation, and I would say it's an uphill caloric battle.
I love a challenge.
When I do succeed, I'll be about as jacked as I have ever been at about 185 pounds.

This has been a banner year, really, despite my DNFs. I still consider it a success. In the last 12 months:
-Triple Iron (7.2 mile swim, 336 bike, 34 miles of run completed)
-50 mile Treadmill run, overnight
-Winter Death Race...lived through the night and called it quits
-35 mile run at Mcnaughton Ultras
-50 Mile overnight run at Aroostook Relay For Life
-55 mile run at Green Mountain Relay
-24 Hours of Great Glen mountain Bike Ride
-Double Iron finish (4.8 mile swim, 2224 bike, 52.4 mile run)
-More long bike rides (100+ miles) than I can shake a stick at
That's well over 1 ultra event a month.
I'm ready to cap it now with my biggest finish ever.

Donations beginning to come in. You all have no idea how much this means to me.
It motivates me to train longer, and keeps me going when I am tired from sleep deprivation and don't want to go anymore.

41 days. I'm so ready to go to Mexico and hurt.

krp

There Goes My Hero, Watch Him as He Goes

My hero died.
He was hit by a car on a training ride, just 3 miles from his home.

Somehow, it took me 4 days to learn of his death.
Lack of publicity in ultra-endurance sports- you gotta love it(not).

Jure Robic was NASTY. He was coming off his 5th Race Across America win. Dude could ride his bike from west coast to east coast in 8 days.
He was all about his sport.
He once said of RAAM, "I love RAAM, it is the hardest and the toughest. It gets into your blood like a disease."

He could have been rich, had he chosen to market himself. Instead, he used all of his time to ride. Put up or shut up.
One of his crewmembers said, "Jure is all legs and no head. He has to be that way to win these types of races. He could be making money with endorsements, but he is a bike racer, not a business man."
I could relate to this way of thinking. Screw all the begging and negotiating.
Just let me race.

Jure lived in a small apartment with his kid and wife, scraping to get by so he could race. He had no fluff in his life. I can't help but wonder if scraping to get by was what kept his hunger so high. Training and racing HAD to be his income. He forced it to be that way.

I feel like I knew a little bit of what was going on inside his head every day before he mounted his bike.
The financial struggle.
The obsession to do what you love.
The balance of "normal" life around training.

Maybe that's why I feel so sick about the death of someone I never even met.
So untimely.

Man, I really liked his style. I had hoped to meet him one day.
Here's to you, Jure.
krp

Revenge at Lake Anna

I had mixed feelings driving down the 2.5 mile road at Lake Anna State Park on check-in night, last thursday.

We drove past the sign, and a zillion different memories from last October came flying into my mind.
Way more than I expected.
The highs of the bike ride when I finally found my legs at 260 miles in.
The cold nights. The fun and random mix of friends I had crewing for me.
The low of the second night of racing, when I got injured and had to drop.

I continue to be a student of my sport.

One thing is for sure.
You can do ultra running and ultra cycling.
You can do triathlons..but you have to tie the two together before you can actually become an ultra distance triathlete and learn what you need to do to succeed.

9 of us stood on the start line at 7am on friday morning.
3 of us had plans of Mexico in November. For us, this was just a training day.

The water was flat as glass as we made our way in.
Pretty comfortable temperature.
I settled into a slow pace, chilled out, and got into a rhythm.
I don't do a ton of swim training.
Of the 3 sports, it's the one I enjoy least, and feel has the fewest gains to be had per training time.
Obviously, that will change as I prepare for a 12 mile swim in a couple months. Don't want to be toast after the first discipline in Mexico.

Came out of the water dead last, but really feeling fine. I definitely hadn't wanted to be in the water for over 3 hours, but knew it was coming. Hey, you don't train, that's what you get. I was just happy to feel as good as I felt.
Only a little dizzy from the extended weightlessness of the water.

Changed up quickly, hopped on the bike around 10:45, and immediately went to work.
Even though this was supposed to be a "low pressure" race for me, I didn't like being last.
My continuous 12 hour ride in the last miles of the bike at the Triple told me I could sit for a long time, so the goal was to not get off the bike for the entire ride.

All was well until around 5pm.
The sun was beating down on the pavement.
It was around 90 degrees...temperatures we haven't seen up north in a while.
One of the racers from North Carolina passed me on the other side of the road and yelled,"What an awesome day for this!"

I yelled an obscenity at him. He laughed, but I wasn't joking. I was suffering.

At the end of the lap, I parked it. Toasted.
Dad and Tina got a big plastic bag of ice and I put it against my chest, hoping it would cool my core. They draped wet cold towels on my head and neck.
After 20 minutes, I was still hot as hell but knew I couldn't waste any more time.

Got back on the bike, made it around the first corner, stopped, and puked for a couple of minutes.
Good times. Chris Trimmer came by, and asked if I was ok. Yup.
Matter of fact, I was all of a sudden feeling great.

I spent the rest of the bike ride feeling pretty awesome. Much like the bike ride of the triple, my last 60ish miles were my fastest on the bike, averaging near 19 mph on some laps.

Parking my bike, I was pretty stoked because I knew I was going to finish the race. I knew I could do a 50 miler in my sleep.
Little did I know at that time that I actually would!

The run was great until around 4 in the morning.
Fatigue was finally setting in big-time, so I asked my Dad to come with me for a lap of the 1 mile out and back course.

We started walking, and the first half mile, it was relatively easy to stay awake.
Towards the turnaround, I staggered a little bit.

After the turnaround, I let Dad lead me, and dared myself to let my eyelids droop a little while I walked.
My head and shoulders were next. Feet shuffled.
Right foot went across my mid-plane and to the left of my left foot.
Next thing I knew, there was a white room with a Jeep door on the wall, and a room of people looking at it as if it were artwork.
I was dreaming, which meant I was sleeping, while walking.
That's a new thing for me.

The whole thing probably took less than 5 seconds until I snapped awake.
"You ok?" Dad asked.
I didn't answer, and just staggered as we made our way to the end of the lap.
Luckily, the sun was coming out.

I went solo the next couple laps, and when the sun finally rose up over the trees, I was alive again. Running.

Hours flew by, and around 11 the sun started getting intense. I was chafing in places I don't care to talk about, and the combination of heat and sleep deprivation made me extremely grumpy. In short, I was fried- both physically and mentally.

The last 3 laps took an eternity. It was like every minute took an hour, but quitting never crossed my mind.
I remembered laying on the doctor's table last October, right leg wrapped in ace bandage, as Matej from Slovenia finished. His national anthem played and people were going crazy at 5am. I was so depressed that I wasn't going to get that honor after I had trained so hard.

As they say, "What's past is past".
This was it. I was going to finish for sure. The last 100 meters I forced myself to run, flag in hand. Dad, Tina, and Sarah ran with me for a few meters, then let me have the finish line.
The national anthem played, I crossed the line, and it was over. Fantastic.

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out and waiting for Paul(an alligator wrestler, seriously)to finish, and talking about the battles we all had.

There really is nothing like the mood swings, consciousness changes, physical beating, and caliber of amazing people that is ultra triathlon. I'm hooked, and can't wait to race Mexico.

Big thanks to Kirb, Nick, Eileen, Dad, Tina, Sarah, and the rest of my support team in Maine and around the country. This would never have been possible if I had tried to do it all myself.

Thanks for reading,
krp


CONCLUSIONS
-I need to heat train somehow. There's no way I can endure 5-6 days of what I experienced this weekend.
-I got caught up in "racing" for no reason, a rookie mistake that I knew better than to do. For everyone else, this was their A-Priority race. This was just a long workout, and I forgot that. Had I been a little calmer on my bike, I probably wouldn't have over-heated as bad, and wouldn't have had to stop a couple times. Also, I might have paced the run a little smarter.
-Swim training in the pool needs to happen now. I have to get my mind used to the boredom of an 8 hour swim. Staring at a pool floor.

chasing

5 days from this very moment, I'll be biking.

My ass will be chapped.
I will have already been racing for 11 hours.

I'll be thinking about how soon, I'll need to put my lights on, get a real meal in, and maybe add some arm-warmers as the temperatures begin to fall.

My mind will be wandering and starting to touch upon the idea that, in 6 or so hours, my undercarriage will be relieved...and my feet will be taking the burden of my entire body weight instead. However, thinking about the act of biking for the next 6 hours....not allowed.
That's a fast-track to moody-land.

The laps will blur, and I will enter my own mind, where I'll stay until it's time to clip out of the pedals for the rest of the event.

All it took was one race.
Last year, at the Triple, I found a state of being that I have not yet seen since that weekend.
It was so powerful. I was at one with my body. Completely in touch with every sense.

That first marathon after the swim and bike...it was like my feet never touched the ground.
Then everything came to a screeching halt. Ultimate high, to ultimate low, in less than 5 minutes.
The idea of finishing a big race while feeling like that is so locked into my head.
It's like...this amazing, reoccuring idea. A bolt of electricity that bounces between my heart and my brain. A spark, maybe.
I can't stop thinking about it...there is no choice but to chase the feeling.
I NEED it.

"It'll drive a cowboy crazy
It'll drive him insane
And he'll sell off everything he owns
Just to pay to play the game
And a broken home and some broken bones
Is all he'll have to show
For all the years that he spent chasin'
This dream they call rodeo"


This year is a lot different.
Last year, I was training for the Triple, and hadn't even done as much training as I have this year. I have never been more fit.
My goal for the 2x this friday is to find zen mode, and stay there, until that American flag is in my hands, and I'm crossing that line.

Thank you so much for your support thus far.
There are people "like"ing my facebook page that I don't even know.

This fills my heart with fire. More than ever. It's like I'm not going to this event by myself. There's an army, now.
No distance is safe anymore.

To the Hunt,

krp

not quite

another cold night
walking that line

bike path, dim and dreary
road: never-ending

solitary

like a hamster on a wheel
my mind toils

money, progress.
the norms
why do i defy them?
i can't breathe.

a house on the hill?
or a tent inside the forest?
priorities.
i'm dizzy.

there's a hole, somewhere...
my soul hurts.

fill it with a run
stuff it with a bike
and ignore
til it comes back around

depression, the ulcer

what is this "normal"?
and why can't i find it

i'm always almost there
but never close enough
never close enough

krp

Only

See, I have this thing.

I've been getting advice from deca finishers.
Kurtz. Lefferts. Steil.
All kick-butt, badass USA people.

In chatting with them, there's this word that keeps popping up. Only.

"It's only the quint."
"Use Lake Anna for a good tuneup. It's only a double, but will be a great finish for your resume."

I've found myself even saying it when talking about the double. It's only a double.
Only. Riiight.

Tonight it sank in that next week, I'm going to swim 4.8, bike 224, and run 52.
Only a double...
Truth is, it's still going to be tough, and at my young experience level, will probably turn me inside-out.

Am I nervous? Sure.
But it's a good nervous, not a crap-myself kind of nervous...like the 200 mile run, or even the Triple last year.

I feel pretty good, and have had to chill a little bit on the training this last week due to some minor things.
I'll be well-rested, so I can give things a good test.

It'll be a good stepping stone, and a great marker of where I'm at in the grand scheme of 5x.
67 days until the Quint.

Dream Season

It's getting to be that time of year.
Race season.

I know this because the dreams are starting.

In my race dreams, every terrible thing that can happen, does happen.

Last night, I got to the Virginia Double Iron. Lost my swim goggles.
Got into the water for the start, and somehow saw my goggles on the bottom of the lake. Even though the water was 3 feet deep, I couldn't reach them no matter how hard I tried.
Spent so long trying to get them that I missed the start.

The swim was a blur. When I got out of the water, everyone had been done so long that the race course was barely marked.

In trying to get to the transition area, I somehow got lost and navigated onto a different course, and started another race.
This race was like an obstacle course on a kids playground....in snow. All of my college friends were there, and pissed at me for missing the start of their race.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep up with anyone. Then, I woke up.

The nightmares will keep coming. With increased frequency.
Dream season is here. Great.

krp

busride writin'

People ask me why
I don't really know
Gazing at the sky
I tell them I just....go

On the surface is my smile
A mask well-worn and fake
My soul is tread-upon tile
Something I can barely take

Underneath, a raging blaze
Consuming, seeking air
Let me just count the ways
I can ignite it, under there

At the center is my hate
For myself, inferior
My endurance is my fate
For choices made, interior

krp

Tempting the Triangle

I tempted fate today.
Took my life in my hands, really.

Today, I dared Sasquatch, the Turner Beast, the Leeds Loki, and the Turner Triangle to tangle with me.

Laced up the running shoes and did what used to be my favorite on/off-road bike ride via my own two feet.

Ran up along the south end of Pleasant Pond, where I was disappointed to find that the dirt road ended with a house. No matter.
I bushwacked up to 117, ran down over the hill by the golf course, and linked up with 219 for a few miles.

Ambling past what used to be Twin Bridges Market in Leeds and admiring the new tar, I was reminded of a few nights prior. I was tooling along that road at 1am on a bike ride from Ellsworth to Turner, and happened to look over and see a nice buck with super long tines on his rack. Pretty awesome.

I hit the crossing of the powerlines and took a right, and followed them all the way to the intersection, where I could've gone to Landry's store, Addington Hill, or the Androscoggin River. I chose river, bub, hoping I wouldn't have to swim across to get back onto the Turner Flats.
Sure enough, I took the trail that dumped me out on the river. A trail went to the left, but a sign said "Keep out"...

Luckily the water was really low. I mucked it along the edge of the river, baffled at how many different types of animal prints were embedded in the sand. Raccoons, squirrels, deer, rabbits, etc. After a 1/4 mile of mudding and some wet shoes and feet, I cut across someone's property until I was on the main road.

Crossed the bridge, jogged down Cobb Road and memory lane as I ran by my aunt and uncle's old place, where I spent a lot of time as a kid. Weird how I remembered the the road and houses being so much bigger then compared to now.

Finished up on the road. 117 and back down Pleasant Pond road. No better way to spend an afternoon.

24 HOGGin'

Just spent the weekend riding the mountain bike.
Literally, the whole weekend.

I was foolish enough to sign up for the 24 Hours of Great Glen, located...well...on the side of Mount Washington.
A lot of people do it in teams of 2 or 4, but some are dumb enough to try it alone. It's a test of will and skillz.

Trail description:
Lots of dirt road, interspersed with some singletrack. 8.3 miles.

Cool.
I figured, I've done a lot of biking...why not?
If it's a lot of dirt road, I should at least be able to pull off a lap an hour, right?
WRONG!

Cannon was fired at High Noon on Saturday.
I held a pretty good pace for 5 laps, but then the singletrack started really frustrating me and kicking my ass. It's not exactly a strength of mine.

It really is an art that requires good balance, technique, focus, and short bursts of high power.

I...um..have none of those. Just the ability to zone out and go for long periods. Can't really do that on a mountain bike.
I tried at one point around midnight in the race, and did a header into a pine tree.
Good Times!
Also, the amount of climbing was unbelievable...and I even like climbs.

BY 1am, I was COOKED and totally out of my element. Went to bed for 40 minutes to try and get some consciousness back, but had the usual "lay there and think about the race" thing going on. Falling asleep on impact of pillow is something I have yet to perfect in my Ultra races. It's frustrating to be tired and not sleep, knowing that it's going to help.

Came out of the tent totally pissed off and not in the mood to ride.
Did a misery lap. Got passed every 2 seconds. Seemed like every time I'd get a rhythm established, a relay team dude would yell "on your left!".
This compounded my frustration....even though most offered the seemingly standard "Good Job Solo!".

Rolled into the camp 2 hours later(mind you, this equates to a 15 minute mile). I could've easily run faster, and knowing this REALLY pisses me off.
I tell Nicole, Mom, and Dad(kick ass crewing job, by the way) "I'm going to bed, and not getting up until I sleep".

A couple hours later, they're opening my tent. Time to go.
Spent the next couple hours riding, saying I'm gonna stop after this lap.
I said that a few times.. but with each lap, I kept getting more inspired. Around 10:30am Sunday, I told the gang. "Well, I'm so miserable now, might as well go and make myself more miserable."

I am SO glad I chose to do the last lap. Met up with a ton of other Solos.
It was really a celebratory lap and an awesome end to a tough event.
We shared battle stories of the experiences of the 24 hours, and enjoyed the hot sun after the chilly night.

I'll definitely be back next year. At least I'll know what to expect!

Starvin Marvin

I haven't updated in a long time.

Been BUSY. Busy TRAINING.

Holy moly.

I'm so far ahead of last year at this time that it's unreal.
I feel good. I'm fitter than ever. Now I just have to be smart....and now that I have more time on my hands(now I'm part time at work), I can BE smarter. Little things like injury prevention and weights are the things I just never had time for when I was working all the time.

It materialized like this:
Mark and I were working together. Both full time.
Store has slow months from now until November.
I have a mental breakdown, and realize: oh my word, I'm making the same mistakes as I did last year prior to the Triple.
Working too much. Not training enough. Not taking care of myself.
I propose that I take a small pay cut and work 25-30 hrs per week TOPS.
Done.

A HUGE weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
While I may have had some creeping doubts before about Mexico, those are long gone. I don't think anyone wants it as bad as I want it, and I mean that.
I wake up and think 5x.
I daydream about it all day.
I do every workout imagining I'm in the middle of the race.

I'm GLAD for those DNFs.
They've made me so hungry.
Shit, I'm starving...and in a few months, I'm gonna eat like a king.

Epics

My name is Kale, and I have an addiction.

I can't stop thinking about the next Epic. It's all I can think about.
It pulls me through this mundane life of work, sleep, repeat.

For some people, escape is sex, drugs, or rock'n'roll.

Mine is food, bike, or run.

I know I'm different than the other endurofiends because they don't need it like I need it.
Like, NEED it.

I got humbled at the Green Mountain Relay. Thought I could stick out any problems, as long as I could walk. Turned out, when I was thrown into that situation, I didn't want to participate on terms that were less than my own high expectations...ie, walking. I put 16ish hours on my feet and said screw it.

Enter the next logical step: 24 Hours Around The Lake Race.

No distance per se, just time...running. I can deal with that.

It makes so much sense. This leaves out the negative mental talk of unfavorable pace projections, and sets me up for just doing my best for 24 hours....and I'm going solo. I need to find that mental toughness...that place in my head where nothing else matters but the finish, and that comes with having no one to talk to or lean on.

Perfect for getting my run game back on track for November, and it'll be my last long workout before 24 Hours Of Great Glen, a mountain bike race 2 weeks after that.

I'm happy about my fitness right now. I'm way ahead of where I was last year.
More ultra runs under my belt than any other year for this time of year.
My biking is WAY stronger than last year already.

Only thing slightly lacking is swim, but that comes rather quickly for me.

I'm ready for my next escape.

(hi)atus

I bet you thought I forgot about The Path Less Taken.

My time during the TentMan Experience has forced me to reflect on this blog a little bit.

I've come to realize that somewhere along the line, this blog took a negative tone. Maybe I just needed somewhere to vent.

I took something really awesome, that only a handful of people in the world can do, and turned it into a major negative thing in my life.

That being said, it doesn't surprise me that the Tentman Blog has way surpassed the Path Less Taken in popularity.

Tentman is cool-headed and fun.
Endurance Geek is moody, negative, and serious. No one wants to read about someone bitching all the time.

I'm so glad I've moved to a tent. It's been great for my training and given me a new perspective on life. Having a slight hippy mindset might not be a bad thing, after all.

I'm reminded of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Michael Johnson and Maurice Green were set for this "clash of the titans" in the 200 meter dash. Trash talking and acting like jerks, they both came to the line fueled with anger.

Neither made it to the finish line.
Both pulled muscles on the world stage and came up as losers.

Each of my last 3 races I approached as: I need to finish this or else.
Negative.

May the peaceful mindset of Tentman and the drive of Endurance Geek combine!

krp

rebirth

The sun is out.
The birds are singing.

Today, folks, is a great day.

In reading a few of my last posts, one would probably wonder why the hell I'm doing this at all. I could almost agree. The first 6 months of this year have given me nothing but heartache and stress.

Luckily, my major running events are done for the year. Those are the ones that take the largest toll on my body. I'll still do a few longer runs of 50-75 miles, but nothing major. From here on out, it's about getting Bike Nasty and Swim Hardened.

I am stressed financially, physically, and mentally, in getting to Mexico, but I always remember this.
In any movie...any book that has to do with the pursuit of dreams, things are always terrible for a long, long time...until they get better.

William Feather once said:
"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go"

There's a reason only a few people on the planet do this. It is so far from easy just GETTING to the start line...let alone what happens after the gun goes off.

Less than 5 months now, and I'm starting to visualize how sweet that finish line is going to be. I feel good and ready to start putting some monster bike mileage in.

Enough failure, it's time for success.

Thanks for reading.
krp

Three Times, No Charm

I need to write this...for my brain.

This was kind of my worst nightmare.

I'd never DNFed before the Triple. Here I am now, DNF number 3, clinging to my back like King Kong on the Empire State.

A DNF in an Ultra has a much longer story than "I couldn't do it." Unfortunately, to outsiders of the sport, that's what it might look like: just excuses.

You know what it makes me feel like in their eyes? A bullshitter.

I believe in myself...and some people might say that's all that matters. Unfortunately, it's not at this level.
When you have people that have sponsored you with their product, time, services, or money, the expectation is rightfully some sort of result.

I'm extremely disappointed and humbled. This is the "fight or flight" moment.
My back's against the wall. I certainly don't feel excited about asking for sponsorship. I have zero results this year, thus far.
It's time for me fight. I have to focus on my limiter: flexibility. That's the ONLY thing stopping me in these races.
No structural issues. No mental weakness. Just tendons and muscles.

If you've supported me and continue to support me no matter what, I thank you. You are the true friends and my inspiration to keep fighting.

Thanks for reading.

krp

junk

Lots of junk going on.
By junk, I mean junk.

Attempted to make the trip downstate sunday night so that I could see Nicole and do some hiking on some terrain over 1500' above sea level.
Broke down in Newport.
Waited for 2 hours for Nicole to come pick me up on the side of the road, then spent the next few days doing less hiking and more figuring out what to do with my vehicle, that is still in Newport.
I'm thankful that I've got family in the right places.
They're gonna go pick it up with the car trailer and then we can go from there.

Soooo, Nicole drove me up here last night, and now I'm carless until further notice.

I used to hate the saying "everything happens for a reason", but the older I get, the more I believe that there are forces that we cannot control.

Interesting that I sign up for a MAJOR event next month that's going to require me to be on my feet for 2 and a half days, and now, during the time I need to train the most, I have no car...forcing me to be on my feet to transport myself.
Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

In the mental junk department, I've got this internal hippie thing going.
I have all this stuff I don't need.
An apartment I only sleep in.
A car I use to commute for like, 1 mile at time. Ridiculous.
I want to get rid of it all.
It feels like I'm wasting money on things like car insurance, gas, and a roof over my head.
I don't need that shit.
I can sleep in a tent, for free, and I am capable of riding my bike for hundreds of miles at a time, as long as I have time to do it.
I would be saving like 700 dollars a month. That is HUGE.

Training wise, I have about 10 days of high volume via running/walking before I scale it back so that I may survive the ordeal next month.
I'm keeping the details of the event a secret till I'm done, because I'm sitting on two DNF's...and that doesn't feel good to me.
I think advertising what I'm doing only makes me feel stressed about completing it...which doesn't allow me to get into the right zen type mode.

It's hot here. Good Mexico training.

thanks for reading...

krp

jinx, you owe me a coke

Guess it's time for an update.

It's interesting, learning the little things about one's self, psyche, and physical being, on this crazy journey of ultra triathlon training.

At first, I thought it would be really awesome to have my own website that made me look like "the man". I figured it would be awesome if it helped attract sponsors. If everyone knew what I was up to, they could track my progress...you know...keep me accountable and motivated, right?

Interestingly, wrong.
Expect some major changes to www.kalepoland.com. Why?

A couple of things, right off the bat. One, I cringe whenever I read my site. It talks me up, and frankly, I hate it. There's something within this sport that humbles you so much. You feel like really, it's not a big deal, even though the norms say otherwise.
Two, telling people what I'm going to do makes me feel like I have to stick to a schedule, which takes the adventure and spontaneity out of the training.

One of the great things about this sport is the ability to, on any given weekend, jump into a random century ride, do a marathon as an easy workout, or look at a map, point at a lake, and say,"I'm gonna swim that tomorrow".

That is why I love it so much. Adventure. Scenery. People that are so hospitable, awesome, and upbeat, that it would blow your mind.

Sometimes, I wish I could just give people the feeling I feel while training and racing. They'd be hooked.
Perhaps they might then understand why I've made so many life sacrifices to chase the feeling and these dreams.

Americans, as a whole, are getting dull and lethargic. In this subdued, mundane world of technology, safety regulations, insurance, seatbelts, helmets, lawsuits, and politically correctness, people need something that makes them feel alive.

Find it, make it your passion, and put the glimmer back in your eyes.

Enough just sitting there, thinking about it.
Go after it.

krp

DNF

Friday, May 7th.
I'm up early, gathering all my race gear for tomorrow's event, the McNaughton 100. It'll be my first attempt at running 100 miles.
My tiny apartment looks like hell, and the clutter of backpacks, bottles, shoes, and random gear piled in the middle of the floor makes it look worse than usual.
The phone vibrates on the counter. Sperv's text: "Don't hurry, I'm running late."
She's hungover.
Awesome. Now I can make fun of her for 6 hours in a cramped space.
She cannot get away.

A few hours later, I meet her in Bangor, and we start our long drive to VT in her 40 miles-per-gallon, football-resembling car.
In Waterville, we stop for gas and a bathroom break. I come out of the bathroom just in time to walk by Sperv, paying for a hot dog at the counter. The guy getting rung up next to her looks at her, then the hot dog, and says:"you feelin' lucky tonight?"...I walk out and die laughing.

We hook up with Anneliese in NH, and it's a beeline to the Green Mountain state.
As we approach Amee Farm(the venue), I'm reminded of the Death Race I'd done there a few months prior. Lifting a 50 pound bucket of sand and wood up and down the mountain, in the snow, with no snowshoes, had given me tendonitis that took forever to shake..
Now, here I was, getting ready to go up and down that same mountain 10 times for a grand total of 100 miles.
Whenever you get an injury somewhere, it's always in the back of your mind.

We arrive at the farm and chill with Andy for a few minutes, enjoying an epic cow battle.
Andy informs us that the farmer actually lives with the cows. Apparently, this guy was hiking the Appalachian Trail, was picked up in this town last November, and just never left. I love it.

Leaving the farm, we snag some food, and drive up the dirt road(four-wheeling in the football) to Mile 5, where we set up camp.

For May, it is COLD, and we are on a mountain, so it's even colder where we are than at the Farm.

The 150 and 200 had started the day before, and throughout the night, the racers walk past our tents.
Even though I know whats going on and can completely understand, I am selfishly frustrated by the amount of noise their crew makes as they cheer and chat with the racers. It's impossible to sleep.

A few days before the race, I'd been sick, and tonight i'm really hoping for one last good night of sleep before running for 24+ hours. No avail.
I spend the night freezing in my tent, and wake up at 5am on race day to a sore throat and annoying cough. It's pouring, and 40 degrees.
Forecast is to be mid 40s all day, pouring rain and snow showers.

Before I know it, it's 5 minutes until race time. For the first time ever in my life, I'm not excited to be at a race.
1 minute to start, and not one person is within 20 feet of the starting line, which is hilarious. At anything shorter than 50k, you'll find ninnies at the line 20 minutes before, doing sprints or stretches, fixing their shoes, and sizing up the competition by looking at their legs. I can't stand that. This is why I love Ultras. People are REAL.
After a few jokes from Andy about how noone wants to start, we're off.
It'll be a 6 mile climb to the top of the mountain, then a rolling descent of 4 miles back to the farm.

The course is soft from all the rain, and the field quickly thins out.
I couldn't find a free bathroom before the start, so I hit the Port-a-Potty at mile 5. Sperv and Annelieseare there, and have already tapped the Longtrail Keg. It's 6:45am.

Not much of the last mile to the top of the mountain is runnable, and there's a really cool section called the Labyrinth- a section of woods with really thick evergreens. You almost need a headlamp during the day there. After you break out of the Labyrinth, you're standing on top of the mountain with a great view of the Green mountains...but I don't waste any time admiring the view.
The descent is already super muddy. I run behind a couple veterans from NH who say the course is similar to the Muddy Moose, a ridiculously muddy 14 mile trail run in their home state. At any rate, it certainly doesn't make the descent any easier, as it's dangerous to go to fast, yet slippery if you try to hold yourself back.

Back at Amee farm, 10 miles is done. I treat the small crowd to a little "running man" dance, grab some food, and head back out on the course. I feel pretty good, but it is POURING.

At mile 15, Sperv and Anneliese are there helping serve the racers noodles and sandwiches, and coffee for me. Perfect.... I didn't have enough before the race. I run the last 5 miles of the lap, loving life with a nice little buzz. The buzz has a side effect, though, and I stop at the top of the mountain to pee. A racer walks by and says, "bad kharma to pee on top of the mountain!". Maybe I should've listened!

Mile 20, and the running man comes out again. Andy Asks if I'm going to do it after every lap. "Definitely", I yell.. but inside, I'm kinda feeling like junk.
On the course for my 3rd lap, the course is absolutely trashed. Most of the trail is barely runnable, with mud shin deep or worse. I'm not mentally strong today, and it's starting to really piss me off every time I lose my shoe or almost fall on my ass.

At mile 25, I eat some ramen noodles and cookies, and try to pump myself up mentally.
"How's it going to feel in Mexico?", I ask myself..It's a statement that usually makes me suck it up, but today it's just not there.
My legs don't even feel energized. Normally, around mile 25 is when I'm in a euphoric state. Around that time, endorphins are kicking in, but there's not enough fatigue to be mentally drained. Something's up.
I've been hacking stuff up the whole race, and my knee has a small twinge on the side from the relentless downhills.

I climb to the top of the mountain from mile 25, through the Labyrinth, chatting it up with a 200er. He's suprisingly alert for having run so many hours. I really want to do that race next year.

I come back to the farm, get a couple of burgers and sit by the fire. I'm cold and feeling like 100%, Grade A crap.
I don't want to tell Sperv, Anneliese, or Andy that I'm thinking about dropping. It's a humiliating, humbling, awful thing to have to say, but I say it anyways.
They convince me to go another lap, and I reluctantly set out. 10 minutes down the trail, and I know that its over, but I stick it out until 35. It proves to be a very motivating and educational last 5 miles.

I've all but given up, so I drastically slow my pace to mull things over why this day turned out the way it did. The 200 leader comes up behind me with his entourage, and he is on a different planet. A Lala land, if you will, of uncomfortable pain.

He's got 3 guys ahead of him, yelling to him the details of the trail and what he needs to do("run this part", "watch out for this root", etc.) One guy is behind him, hand on his lower back, making sure he doesn't fall over, and talking him up. Every so often, he complains about the mud, and you can hear the physical emotional stress in his voice.
He's at mile 175 and looking good. Badass.

At mile 35, I pull the plug, and spend the rest of the day drinking Long Trail, helping the racers, and watching storm after storm blast us with rain, hail, and snow. I had a great time being on the other end of things...getting food and gels for people.

CONCLUSION
File it under "unceremonious long workout".
I went in with not much expectation, at last minute, and unfortunately did not come out the way I wanted. I'm not mad or upset.
I just wasn't up to the challenge.
On a positive note, I am structurally sound, and raring to go now.

Those last five miles behind Ryan reminded me that I have a lot of work to do, for I will be in those same shoes in 6 months...out of it, mindlessly putting one foot in front of the other, and hoping to make it mile after mile.

Thanks for reading!
krp

gangsta rap and porcupines

"Its funny how things change overnight when you're thinkin' right"-Xzibit

Say what you will, but there is no better motivating music to me than rap.

I'm talkin' hard core beats, awesome wordplay

Sure some of it's terrible and morally lacking, but it's life.
I can't identify with jackin cars, selling drugs, or shooting anyone, but I sure can identify with "comin up"...you know, workin hard. Trying to make money. Getting your name out there, and putting your nose to the grindstone to get what you want out of life.
Look past all the rhetoric and swears and you got music about the struggles we all face.

"You got two ears and one mouth. That means you got to listen twice as much as you talk"- Chamillionaire

Anyways, I figured it was time for an update.
I smartened up. I'm not going to the VT 100. The last thing I need is another bout of some random tendonitis.
I'll do one or two big solo-unsupported runs this summer when I feel ready.

Speaking of feeling. I feel good. Put in some good volume the last week or so.
Sarah G was nice enough to accompany on the bike portion of my all nighter on friday. We started a skunk count, but saw only one during our ride.

Around 12am I made my way via bike to my apartment and had the ultimate test: changing clothes to running gear and NOT laying down on my bed. Once I do that, it's over.

Had a nice run on the always-lit bike path. Saw one more skunk and a fox watched me from 10 yards away over by the UMPI field.

Today Joey B. and I hit the Heritage center for a trail run. Trails were dry and awesome. Did some adventure running on a dirt road intersecting the West MTB Trail and came upon a random run-down camp, which really was only the size of a big ice shack. It's funny, we both noticed how the top third of most of the trees on the trail to the camp had been stripped of bark.
As we approached the camp, we heard a rustling and a HUGE porcupine came around the side of the camp. Not sure of its plans, we ran like two little girls for a second, then turned around. It had gone to it's den under the camp.
I love training up here.

krp

Aliens and Obligations

Ever seen Alien, when the little monster comes exploding out of Ripley's stomach?

Feels like thats going to happen, only out of my head.

Other than a crazy headache, I'm doing pretty well.

Tendonitis is all but gone. Gonna try and put a good ride and run in this weekend.

Not going to lie, during those few weeks where my training was dramatically reduced, I had legit questions about my commitment to the sport, and this one was the most prevalent:
"Is this worth the emotional peaks and valleys?"

I am SO HIGH when I am training well, but the lows are really, really terrible when things aren't going according to plan.

I continued to question myself for days and days, until I came to the realization that there can be no other way.

Its who I am.
I have a body and mind built for unending activity. I live for it. I don't just WANT to do this, I HAVE to, or else I am an evil, vile person.
I almost feel obligated. If I quit now, I am wasting what I was created for.

I will throw myself off a bridge before I live a mundane life of: wake up, go to work, come home, eat, go to bed, repeat. That works for some people.

I need more.
I need to feel alive, and that life comes from physical experiences that turn me inside out emotionally.

When I've cycled or swam or run ALL DAY(or more), I feel like I have used every second to its potential....and that makes me happy and satisfied with my life, and who I am as a person.

Bring me to life.

krp

Pro and Con VT100

Ok.
I'm not back, but I'm semi-back.

I ran on friday night...it was only 25 minutes, but I'll take what I can get right now. Actually, I came back to the apartment and was so unfulfilled that I went out and walked for almost an hour. I guess, in Ultraland, even walking is training too. I'll accept it.
I'd be ignorant if I didn't assume I'd be walking a lot in Monterrey this November.

In retrospect, during the last month leading up to the injury, I fell into a trap I hadn't fallen into in a years. I went too hard, too soon, and took a 3 week hit in training because of it.

I'm not going to Vermont unless I can pull some crazy water workouts in the next couple of weeks.
REALLY want to do Vermont badly, so I need to be rational and not push things too soon out of the gate.
Place rationale up there with balance on the impossible shelf for me this year.
I have the mental wherewithal, but my 27 year old body is too young to handle what I WANT to do.
It could be a frustrating couple of years if I don't do things to a T.

Going back to VT 100, let me plead my case on why I can:
-50 mile Treadmill run, overnight, was 2 months ago to this day. Still have some umph from that run
-Lots of run mileage leading up to the:
-Death Race 3 weeks ago.. 10 hours overnight, mental and strength training for sure.
-All I need to do is a small build in volume over the next 4 weeks with one major long day(doesn't even have to be all running) 2 weeks prior.
There is a whopping 40 DAYS until the VT 100. Almost 6 weeks.

Now that I've talked myself into it, I'll see what Troy at Northern PT thinks.
6 weeks is a long time.

I crave the trail..
No, I don't just crave the trail.
I crave trail gluttony.
-crossed fingers-

krp

blah

I ran into this last september....getting caught up in training for all the wrong reasons.

Sometimes, I'm so results -oriented that I lose my brain and either don't train right (ie too hard) or lose my motivation. I see what I have to do and its either fight or flight. Balance is proving to be very elusive this year.

I ask myself, now, in a bout of tendonitis, what happened to training for the love of training? Maybe this inflammation is a blessing in disguise, for I am missing training. My body needs it. I want to feel my heart pumping. I want to slip into that mental place where obligations don't exist...when I'm into a workout, I'm just in zen mode. My lack of zen mode is really killing my joy of life right now.

In the grand scheme, the Vermont 100 is a mere 6 weeks away. The April major ride is 3.5 weeks away. So, I need to start putting major volume in, which, until this injury's gone, means major pool time...and this means boredom to the point of jabbing my eyes with toothpicks.

Gotta find that balance.
To WANT to train.
To be confident in my training and ability.
To RELAX my mind.

7 months till 5x.

krp

wow

I dunno.

I'm dealing with some tendonitis. My head hasn't been in the best of places lately.
Turns out I do have it in my blood to be a complete jerk to people, after all.

Just restrict my ability to train, and the asshole-ometer cranks up.
Sorry, friends. There's more to life than training, it just took me a day to realize it and get over myself.

I'm thinking of starting a new blog in addition to this one. Up until this "injury", which is actually just inflammation, the increased training time had been taking me down some different roads and memory lanes.

I'm always so busy looking forward, that I never really look back on some of the things of the past. There's some tragedy to that, as I feel like I'm forgetting about more things every day...maybe more even than the average person.

It feels like, for 27, I've lived a ton of lives and had some really crazy things happen...maybe it'll make a good story someday.

So, in regards to starting a new blog, I think maybe I'll spare you the same training-based blogs every time and spice it up with some experiences that have led me to this point.

This blog will be called Fuel.
They are the stories that made me who I am- the events that shaped me as a person. The stories will be raw and real, and will not be in chronological order...just written as they come to me.

Fuel. Coming very soon.

Krp

trail love

I eat pain.
Marathons for breakfast
I go insane
Crossing races off my checklist

Muscles stay taught
But far from bulletproof
Injury battles are fought
While picking jerky from my tooth

I glide over green grass
And up the mountains high
Pulling wedgies out my ass
No matter who I'm running by

I'm a huge geek to running lore
Gimme rain, sun, and heavy snow too
As long as I'm stepping out the door
And not onto some doggie doo

I listen to that gangsta rap
While hurdling downed trees
Wearing my dry fit cap
Ignoring my bleeding knees

Roadrunner-like my legs twirl
Carry me over hill and dale
Not one to care for the real world,
Just get me on the trail

krp

switchin the steez

It's February still, but I'm declaring that Spring has sprung. First road ride today.
And because of this declaration, I'm pretty much going to be knee deep in training until November.
In planning my next few months, I will have a steady progression, where my scheme is to be training for future training sessions. Training for training. Hmm.

Basically, I'm following the same formula as last year, with regard to swim bike and run. Major run mileage through spring. Major bike and swim in the summer and fall.

New developments:
-Thanks to a good friend, I have medical clearance for the Quintuple. Still have to get my blood samples, so they know I'm not doping.
-signed up for a 24 hour mt bike race in August. That should be a ton of fun, considering I'll be doing 40 hour rides prior to that.
-speaking of which, planning a significant bike ride april 11-12. Its going to be epic...and perfect training for the bigger yet ride in june.

Overall:
-Some IT band tightness.
-Running base is fantastic.
-overall fitness is awesome...it is definitely time to be upping the ante.

Mentally, I am rekindled with todays road ride. Never again will I let someone tell me "you can't bike here until may". I will be out on the bike every other day, now that I've done it seen that the roads are fine...tornado, snow, rain, or sun.
Its just great to have something new to do....a zero impact aerobic activity that I can do a zillion times longer than running.

I'm so fired up.
All I want to do is train.

krp

I'm writing this on my crackberry, in an effort to supress the unbelievable boredom of an exercise bike.

I'd rather bundle up and ride outside. So, why am I here? Good question. Something about doing a ride then spending just as long cleaning my bike as I did riding it....

Interesting. I find it very difficult to type and maintain an even pedal stroke.

Ok, now the real stuff:
-race is officially in november. Saaaweeet.
-this is my first week back on the bike. I was nervous about the long hiatus, but it seems snowshoe running has kept my bike anatomy surprisingly fit....now I just need to build my "ass callouses"..or is it calli? Hmm.
-one more long workout. 2 shorter intense sessions, and then its marathon time. That really crept up. I feel goooood, except for a tight lower back. A massage and some hamstring stretches should alleviate that.

Mentally, I'm looking forward to the weekend. A party is happening, and I need a night out. I've spent entirely too much time inside my own head the last week. I can tell I need social time when I finish my training for the day and I feel kind of depressed.

All part of the game.

To the Hunt.

Krp

yup

I had another "frustrated" spell last week.
Some people must read what i write and think i'm the ultimate brooder.

If i blog it, it doesn't show as much in the "real world". So no, I am not a brooder.

That frustration culminated in a pretty awesome night workout the other night.
I ran, on snowshoes, with a 25 pound pack, to Mars Hill from Presque Isle via the railroad bed...about a 15 mile jaunt.
The idea was to do an out and back for 30 miles, but it just wasn't happening.
The pack was too much.

It was cool while I was out there- every so often seeing the red lights of the windmills atop the mountain. They never looked closer, even as i was chewing up the miles between me and them.

It's always really creepy out there for the first hour or so....your eyes haven't adjusted...the railroad bed seems narrow, and the forest pushes ever close to you.
It's like running down a tunnel.
I ran most of the trail with my light off...and every once in a while a down tree would look like a moose or monster or person waiting to jump me.
Ran into a groomer on the snowmobile trail.
It's always weird to come into contact with humans after you've been a nocturnal animal for a few hours.

I guess my goal now is to train myself into the ground this week and next week, then chill out until the snowshoe race on 3/6 so i can go well rested. I'd like to think I could do well at the marathon...but we'll see. I've never raced long distance on snowshoes, so it will be a learning experience.

i am so ready for spring.
krp

i need this

i dont wanna do this
don't wanna do that
there's a mile-long list
and it makes me feel flat

it holds me down longer
piling more on my shoulders
i will come out stronger
like momentum of rolling boulders

-/-/-/-/-/-/-

it's like a plastic bag over my face, the obligations.
i breathe harder to improve my situation
but it only makes things worse, and and me terse
i need to escape everything, get away from the curse
time to be severing, it's unsettling til i burst
a spaceship stews and simmers before the blast off
underneath my eyes glimmer, and i take the mask off
my thoughts go from scatter to clear cut
i'm going to train hard, no matter what

krp

puttin in work

Had a great visit with Nicole this weekend.

Friday night, my phone buzzed.
On my Crackberry, that means one of 5 things.
It wasn't a phone call, and it wasn't a text.
My battery was not dying, nor was I receiving a Facebook message.

It was an email from Jorge, race director in Monterrey.
Apparently, there's a good possibility that, due to construction, the Quintuple is going to be moved from November to September.
We'll know his week.
Kinda adds a new element of stress.
Good stress, I think.
It forces me to get all of these little details out of the way...the ones I've been putting off forever.

Details such as... planning my Uber workouts for the rest of the year.
It's gonna be a pretty awesome summer.
Think solo ironmans, monster lake swims, and crazy bike rides that make my PI to Bangor ride look like charity rides.
No more treadmill runs...I'll tell you that right now.

While I don't look forward to the sleep deprivation, I think it's cool to be in it- feeling your body just come alive the second you start working out.
Mentally, I want to start blasting off these huge workouts.
Really though, it's too soon for all that.
I'm not interested in getting to July and hating my training because I'm stale.

Next on my radar is the Snowshoe Marathon in VT next month.
26.2 miles on snowshoe will be...interesting. It's much more difficult than regular running. It's more like lunges and ab work all at the same time. I'm excited.

The first what I call "major" workout will be a multi-day training camp at the end of March...where I will train at an undisclosed location for 4 days with no phone calls, no technology, no obligations, and no distractions. That should put the finishing touches on my VT 100 or 150 Mile Run preparation, and give me an additional boost to 5x fitness.
I guess at the end of the camp I'll decide whether I'll go with the 100 or 150 in May.
I feel like the training camp is one element I did not include in my training for the VA Triple last year, and that may have made the difference from injury to no injury.

I dunno what else. I'm feeling good.
The lifting is paying dividends in the pool.
My legs are sore from plyos last week, but it's a good sore.
Time to get some rest.
This is a big week of training.

krp

confessions

Demons say
I'm only trash
Sometimes, its not ok
In my mental cache

I'm full of no's and cant's
It's never good enough
Distance is my only chance
To keep my head above

Tiny remarks, the unsaids
The eyes and body language too
Sink my heart like lead
Until I fire it up as fuel

The question's always why
Why do you what you do
You know where my heart lies
Now, you have a clue

i cant eat enough "clean" food to supply my metabolism. an ode.

Always hungry
I look at the menu
I want it all
To the kitchen I'll send you

Calories and clean food
Are not a mix
I can't eat enough
To get my fix

Seriously, its impossible
I need that grease
Nutrition's an obstacle
Maybe my only crease

So give me a burger,a pizza
Or some fries de la french
Before I lean like Piza
And fall on your wench



I'm losing it. Lol

Holla Back Young'n

Well, I'm blogging a lot lately.
For me, that's a direct correlation to a training volume spike, and a social life dip.
Blogging helps my head.

I try not to talk about my training as much as possible, because of the responses I get("you're crazy", "but why", etc.) and..call me crazy, but I'm afraid of jinxing it all.
I don't want to get injured.
Now, I can understand why Eileen Steil goes to multiple pools to do her workouts...so people don't know what she's doing. She's right, it's just easier to not have to explain it.

I've started to become a superdork of the sport. I'm digesting all the greats blogs and analyzing and visualizing and really starting to go inside of myself. Every tough point in training gets easier when I ask myself how it's gonna be in Mexico.
Is it too early to be going into this mode?
If I was trying to win a single Ironman in October, maybe...But some of the best Ultra triathletes in the world do numerous Double and Triple Iron competitions before doing the Deca in november. I'll copy the europeans, who dominate the sport.

The harsh reality is that there's no room for error right now.
8 months is all I have, really, to build my endurance.
I'm gonna blink, and it's going to be June. Another blink, and it's October, when training hard ceases.

I do need to work on a creating a couple of training camps of 4-5 days away from everyone and everything within the next couple months for the big builds.
I have some ideas; I just need to work on scheduling the time off.

My brain continues to try and wrap itself around a 700+ mile race.
I wonder if I'll ever be able to justify a 700+ mile race in the same way I can now shake off a 50 mile run..... the human body is crazy.

Guess its time for a 5x-specific update, to kind of place where things are at in relation to the race.

It's really easy for me to just get lost in the day to day of things. Writing it out fills you, the reader in, and helps me put things in perspective.

On my calendar, I have a new goal for each month. Last month, the big word was FOCUS, because I couldn't get into a routine.
February is DETAILS.
Gotta get to a doctor for a med check and hematocrit test.
Have to get my passport.
Gotta get my sponsors finalized so I can get there without living in a tent for the summer.
Have to finish my website.

I'm having difficulty finding time around training and work and other life obligations to get this stuff done.
I have a feeling I'm going to have to "disappear" this summer, just so I can adequately train.
No more obligations.

I feel good post-50. Only carnage is a couple blisters on my big toes and some thigh chafe. As miserable as that 50 was, it was one heck of a jump start to fitness. If I can get a 20-30 mile long run in per week now, my run will be on cruise control for the next couple months.

And now that the run is on the way, it's time to start developing my bike fitness. Won't start doing ridiculous rides until june or july. I have one special ride I'm planning this summer. Noone will know what or when it is till I'm halfway done. I think it might get too much hype if I talk about it to early...and then what happens if I don't finish??

I just submitted an email to Dick at the UMPI pool for a sponsored pool membership. Sad that the only reason I haven't been swimming is because I can't cough up the moola right now. I just don't dare, with all the other potential mexico related bills out there, if sponsors don't come through. I'm not worried, though, swimwise.
In all honesty, I can be ready to survive a long swim in a month and a half....however, I'd prefer to not "survive" in Mexico.

I'd kinda like to thrive.

The bottom line is this: I'll just take it day to day, and somewhere around June it'll all be on cruise control.

I can't wait for that.

Aftermath

I'm laying in bed writing this.
Been in bed almost all day.

Wow, last night's Treadmill 50 miler was....an experience.

It was like a time warp. During the night, time dragged on like I've never seen. There were times I could swear half an hour had gone by, only to look down and be surprised that just 6 minutes had passed.

No scenery. No terrain change. Just me in the mirror. Joe and I talked very little throughout the night. We were both in our own little world of pain. I saw every infomercial known to man, and then back to back to back repeats of nesn's sportscenter. Awful.

Miles 20 to 45 were a slog. I just couldn't seem to get my head into it.Overall, my attitude was pretty negative, and I'm not sure why. At mile 45, I was so over it that I just went as fast as I possibly could without hurting myself, just to get it over with. I finished feeling more relieved to be done than proud of the accomplishment.

Never thought I'd get to a point where I'd consider 50 miles a "routine" run. I feel like I pushed my mental limits- due to the nature of treadmill running, but physically I feel fine. Sure, the usual ultra stiffness is there, but that's temporary.

The first ultra of the year is always a shock to my system. I think that's why I couldn't get my mental game down. So I'm glad to have the initial shock out of the way. On to bigger things...

krp

Sunday Night Fever

Tomorrow's the big day....or should I say night.
I feel a little nervous.

Questions start to arise as I start to wrap my head around the night:
-I know my equilibrium will be affected, running stationary, but how bad will it get as extreme fatigue sets in?
-What will my pacing strategy be?
-How much of each type of food should I bring?

Running treadmill for 10 hours does have its perks, though.
You can watch your form and how it changes as you get more tired.
You can bring your "aides" (ie foam roller, etc) and just get off the treadmill and use them.
You can play with pacing and see how things feel.
No leaves for toilet paper....

As a whole, I'm excited to get on and see how things go.
Got a small group run tomorrow, then a couple xc ski lessons, then it's time to prepare for the run. Maybe a short 2 hour nap from 5-7pm.

Really hoping things going well.

+1 notch

I'm steppin my game up.

-Bought my website domain and hosting.
Soon, www.kalepoland.com will be up and running...hopefully by the end of the week.
There, you'll be able to check out my sponsors, get race updates, and see where my training's at.
-Should have my $$ sponsorship letters out within a day or two.

My first real test of 2010 is sunday night.
50-60 miles on a treadmill. It'll be an overnight run at the PI Inn and Convention Center. 10 hours, from 9pm to 7am.
This is how I know I'm strange. I'm excited to run for 10 hours on a treadmill, at night, instead of sleep.
While I dread the boredom, I look forward to what it's going to do to me. It's going to dumb me down.
It's going to train my mind to not think.
I will become a zombie that just moves without thinking. It's the closest you can get to turning yourself into a robot. A machine.
I'm hoping I get through unscathed, and if I do, that'll be a HUGE jumpstart on my way to Mexico.

I was confessing to Troy my debauchery of the weekend yesterday, and how I always leave party weekends feeling guilty that I only trained my booze tolerance. He brought up a great point. Balance. Why, he asked, do you think you are always hearing about NFL and other pro athletes getting in trouble at bars and whatnot? You gotta let loose.
Thanks Troy for rationalizing my stupiditiy. There is some truth to this...I was very motivated when I woke up yesterday morning.

A light ski today will loosen me up from yesterday's 4 hour snowshoe run and 1 hour of plyometrics yesterday.

When training's going well, it's easy to love life.

ventilation system

this is how i know i need to move to a professional level....
i think i'll basically go crazy if i don't.

i need things to be steady, and right now, my training feels bi-polar.
it's either awesome days, or no training at all.
it's like i'm living two lives.

in one, i work. i eat crappy food. i drink beer. i hang out.
in another, i train. i eat clean food. i'm motivated. i jump out of bed to train.

thing is, i hate the first. hate it.
it's the same zombie life i had with olympia.

i'm sick of the winter, already, because i can't bike.
not even enjoying skiing this year....a first.
so over it being dark 75% of the day.

i know a lot of my recent blogs have sounded angry.
in a way, i guess i am.
i want to train. it's all i want.

i've finally reached this point... where the amount of time i have available to train does not give me what i feel is enough. it's too early in the year to forego sleep.
i'll crash in may if i start that now.
maybe it's a chance i have to take to preserve my sanity.

this wasn't that coherent.
my brain is scattered. now you know why.

update 1-9-10

Did a 2 hour Snowshoe run last night, gaiterless. How dumb is that?
Frostbite on both achilles tendons.
Yehaw.

Other than that, I felt awesome. I gotta say, I feel very very strong right now.
When all is said and done, I'll have about 15 hours of training in this week, which is solid for this time of year.

Joe and I are planning on running a treadmill 50 miler on the 25th, so hopefully that bodes well for both of us. It will be mindnumbing, but that's exactly what I want. I don't want to think. I'd like to turn myself into a robot that just goes, and I think that's a solid way to "program" myself.

On the snowshoe run last night, I felt worked, but in a good way. I could feel my core engaging- something that has not happened before. I've always been extremely weak in the midsection, and I give all the credit to Troy at Northern PT and Kate Hanes.

Gotta bite the bullet and get on the bike already. That's the missing element to my training right now. I'm not as concerned with the swim right this second, although that's going to have to happen here real soon as well. Running is going well...lots of mileage and time on my feet this year already.

I'd considered the Beast Of Burden 100 in february. I don't trust myself to be honest. I don't want to go there and get injured. More likely will be the McNaughton 100 in May in VT. They have a 150 mile option that I'm really considering. It'd be nice to go to Mexico having run 150 miles before. To have that confidence at the starting line of the quintuple would be pretty awesome.

Hard to believe in a few months sleep deprivation comes back into play.
Feels like just the other day I was showing up at physical therapy in the morning, not having slept yet, feeling like crap, and just trying to get through the day. I have to admit that I don't look forward to that, but it is a necessary evil.

I am raring to go....a stark change from 2 weeks ago.
I have been reborn.
Let's get it on.

Itching The Hermit

I'm getting to that agitated point of things.

This week was supposed to be my first spike in training volume...but I somehow got the plague of a lifetime. The good news is that now, it's on the downslide. I feel better after 10 hours of sleep last night and a Nyquil overdose.

When I plan for something and it doesn't happen, I get this little itch inside, and it keeps getting worse until the matter is resolved. This little itch is usually a precursor to what I've now come to call Hermit Mode...
No friends. No phone calls. No personality. Just training.
Usually it's a week or two weeks, culminating in one huge workout....IE Presque Isle to Bangor ride, run to Houlton, etc.

So I'll have my first big workout next week.
I'm tossing around a few ideas in my head, but the reality is that I won't know exactly what it is until the day before. It all depends on how this next week goes.

Right now, I'm just thankful that I am relatively structurally healthy. My name was just posted on the Mexico site for the Quintuple, so now it's more real than ever. I'm going, and I cannot wait. Just have to be smart and not overdo it.

Man, November's gonna come quick. It's scary to think I only have 10 major workouts left.

Zoinks. See you next week!

krp

Ramble

Wow.
Haven't updated in awhile.

I guess, really, there's not much to update.
Just spent the last month working every day all day...
I sure am glad to have that behind me now.

2009 was one psycho year. Like, crazy.
2006-2008, I wrote Year In Review blogs. I just read them, trying to get inspired to write something on here, and there is one common theme in all of those entries: they ended with something to the effect of: "insane year". This leads me to believe that life in general is crazy, my life is crazy, or more likely, I am crazy.
The best part is that each insane year just keeps adding new chapters to the book I've been trying to write for the last few years. I collected some really great material this year. I know that at some point, I will do it. Absolutely. It's just a matter of when.

Soooo. 2010.
There' s a lot on my plate right now.
I just submitted my entry form to Jorge for the Mexico Quintuple Iron. That's November 14.
Eileen Steil really put it in perspective on the phone the other night. Really, I only have 10 months of training left.
10 months to get ready for 703 miles of racing.
I have a ton of other races in the plans, but if I don't make it to them because I don't wanna get injured, or have to drop during them to better prepare for Mexico, that's just going to have to happen.

So, I'll be in the gym, battling for machine use at the gym with all the "1 monthers". That's a title I give to the resolution people. January is always so crazy at the gym...where do they go the rest of the year?


I dunno.
I'm ready to focus now. My wild oats have been sewn since that cold October morning.
I've lived it up quite a bit. Drank my beer. Eaten my junk food.
My goals for 2010 are simply stated:
-Keep a balance of social life and training. It can be hard to pull myself out of training mode when I'm in the zone.
-Keep it fun. If it ain't fun, I'll burn out.

Here's to the new happenings....