Beyond the Blog: The Carolinas CAN Ruck For Autism

Ultra-running Things I Learned : * Being horizontal is the single most important aspect to recovery.  I was in my bed for 10 to 11 hours minimum even if I only slept 8. * Rehydrating at night for as many midnight trips to the bathroom as you can stand. I kept Gatorade and water by my bed and made sure  they were empty in the morning.  Flushing out toxins is the only way to keep your legs usable over weeks at a time. * Its okay to eat junk calories if that's what it takes.  Probably not a good strategy for longer than a month. * The easiest calories are the ones you drink...my Gatorade/Tailwind mix was a huge factor in getting cals and keeping going. * Setting psychological micro-goals is critcal to keeping a positive outlook, which is another key to long term performance. * I originally had aid stations and support every 8 miles when plannning the routes. It turned out I needed them every 3 miles on average, every 2 miles at the end * If you can carry a w...

Total Mileage: 25.6 THE CAROLINAS CAN RUCK FOR AUTISM IS DONE! (I will post tomorrow). Words cannot describe my gratitude to everyone that helped make this possible..my family, CAN, friends along the way... Thank you sponsors and donors. You're the best! Godspeed! R.

Total Mileage: 25 Total Years Married: 25 Total Years Before Cheryl Ever Lets Me Do Anything Like This Again: 25 After yesterday's butt-whooping, the word for today was moderation.  Cheryl and I got up at 5 a.m. and by 6 a.m. we set off for a fast walk, aiming to get in our distance before the end of the day. I'll get to the details in a minute, but the long and short of it is that we were out for almost 10 hours, walking for 8 and 1/2 hours, to get in the full 25 miles. Cheryl got in 18 miles and I'm so proud of her because she hasn't done that distance since the infamous West Palm Beach Marathon 2 years ago. Another story. But it was a luxury to have the whole day to ourselves. Matt and Hunter stopped by early in the morning to take some pictures and walk around the neighborhood with us, but for the rest of the day was just Cheryl and I (and Slappy of course), walking around Sunset Beach and seeking out shade wherever we could find it.  While w...

 Total miles : 24.5 Total miles I remember: somewhere around 23.5 “Found on road ” I was seven hours in to an arduous, never-ending slog of 15 minute miles, and suspected I may be in trouble.  I thought I’d been hydrating and cooling enough, but the 90+ degree heat had overtaken me.  A rookie move for somebody with the number of miles I have behind me, but that’s the thing about dehydration and overheating. When you know it’s happening, usually it’s too late. I saw the sign for the Inlet Restaurant where we were to meet, but it said turn left 1000 feet down the road. I had a little mental breakdown and then the world went all gooey.  Cheryl told me I croaked out her name on the walkie and that was it.  She raced back from the parking lot and found me on my knees, hitting the ground. That is the last thing I remember before gaining some sense of consciousness in the car, with Matt and his friend looking extremely alarmed as she brought me back to luci...

Total Mileage: 26.1 Total Miles - 22.5 miles on land, 3.6 miles on water How to determine one's speed when you’re doing circles on the ferry was very much on my mind today, but it was a wonderful problem to calculate. The day has started off with me tired, sore, and in a bad mood. Coming down from such an amazing day yesterday, it was natural to have a slight dip. But totally worth it for such a fantastic day with friends.  As I slogged through Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, my mood brightened a little bit as my pace was not as slow as I thought it would be. When we got to Fort Fisher, the whole crew had their cars lined up waiting to go on the ferry. We had a full complement today, Matt and his dad Mike, Michael, Cheryl,  Stephanie and Becky. It was fun to have such a big group and we were very obvious in our bright yellow event T-shirts.  I did laps while we were waiting and then the ferry operators allowed me to run on last, behind the cars. On ...

Total Mileage: 25.4 Today was one of the best running days of the whole event.  We had an awesome group of people (more on that), beautiful weather in Wrightsville on a loop course, and I got to see Cheryl at the end of the day. I'm pretty wiped right now, so tonight's post will be a lttle shorter.  The day started with me meeting friend and ultra-running legend Charlie Engle at the hotel first thing. We also met the local police department who gave us the blue light special as we ran down to our staging point on the Wrightsville Beach Loop. This is a well-known and well-trod loop of three miles that goes down one road to the beach, up another, and back to form a triangle. You can make it longer by running up and down the beach, which we did it on a few of the legs. We got to the staging area, we met Jeremy and Jeff, two awesome guys who host the ultra-running guys podcast.  Charlie and I have both participated in the podcast, and anyone interested in ultra-ru...

Total Mileage: 25.01 While it's still too early to break out the Europa, we are getting close to the final countdown.. Today I saw the sea! Almost 600 miles later, it was overwhelming to realize that I've made it from the mountains to the coast.   More on that, but first, some ultra-running insights: * I burn about 5,500 calories a day with rucking.  I get a third of this from liquid, a Gatorade/Tailwind mix and coke.  * I'll have a bag on banana in the morning and then my diet during the day consist of cookies, potato chips, pickles, a tuna sandwich and whatever else I can forage. I can't eat a whole lot at night although I do manage to put down a beer or two. * My daily sleep requirements are about 30% more than when I'm in my normal life, I need 9 hours minimum right now. * So far, nothing has broken down that will prevent me from finishing. My legs are sore in the morning, and get less sore during the day. The feeling of tiredness will probably not g...

Total Mileage: 25.22 Miles Hot and Heavy I was thinking about Dan Harris' book "10% Happier" which essentially boils down to this... whether it's a conscious effort, meditation or some other technique, you really have to practice being in the moment...being in the now.   We are such a rapid fire society that we don't appreciate where we are right now.  (I actually think Yoda said this in Empire Strikes Back, but it's still true). We over-anticipate the future.  This is in the same spirit context of what Charlie E. told me taking this thing step by step, one foot forward....that is very much being in the moment. This is what I think of when I'm running, being conscious of where I am (particularly conscious of cars coming at me) but also appreciating everything I pass by.  My world is blissfully reduced to this: I hope I can retain this sense of immediacy and being present with where I am, and whom I'm with, when I return to my ...

Total Mileage: 25.12 miles I woke up today in a much better place, mentally prepared for a long day and accepting of the fact that my legs would be tired from yesterday's emotional and physical beatdown. Today was a straight shot down 52.  I started a few miles earlier than on the planned route, since the highway is basically the same from Kelly through to the juncture of 210. It was a flat, straight road through pretty farmland, and although there were a number of logging and poultry trucks zooming by, I still had room. Following 210 over Black Creek and some amazing swampland, we came in to Moores Creek Battlefield National Monument. I hadn't really intended on doing any miles in the park itself, but it is an amazing treasure.  The park commemorates a significant engagement fought in 1776 between local patriots and 1,600 loyalist troops, mostly Scottish Highlanders. The Patriots used some clever battlefield tactics and fooled the loyalist troops into thinking the...

Total Mileage: 25.1 I haven't been completely honest here.  My posts are observational but not introspective.  But after today's challenge.... I haven't talked about the dark moments during this event, times when I feel like I'm in a deep hole I've dug myself. I haven't talked about the mornings when my body is tired from cramping legs all night, and the thought of putting on the backpack makes me want to pull the covers over my head and disappear.  I haven't talked about the raw skin, mashed toes, and back spasms.   None of this will stop me.  But ignoring the stress and self-doubt that goes along with the physical pain is not sustainable. I woke up this morning late, and felt hurried and out of sorts when we started at the trailhead. The soft sand was challenging, and I was struggling in the humidity by the second mile.  Not paying attention, I slogged through an uneven sand patch. My knees buckled and I hit the ground sideways,  har...

Total Mileage: 26.1 + 1 Bear  Today we begin our March to the Sea, moving from Cedar Creek down to the White Lake area, running through some beautiful farmland and wilderness areas and making new friends along the way.  It starts with a bear story. Specifically,  a bear who popped out of the woods in front of me as I was beginning my ruck today at 8 sm. At first I thought he was a wolfhound, but what would a wolfhound be doing in the woods?  Why would I even think that? I quickly realized his true ursine nature, but he did not have a care in the world whether I was there or not. He had a road to cross and other bears to see, and that's what he's going to do, dammit. It was great to see a healthy bear just lumbering across the road, particularly as he was moving away from me. The other wildlife encounter of note was the Eastern Carolina version of the Pamplona running with the bulls. This was the famous Cedar Creek running with the guinea hens. As I was ru...

Total Mileage: 25.5 Total Fish: 1 That is Monty with his prize fish, caught at Carver's Creek State Park and immediately released on it's own recognizance.  I split most of my rucking today between the Mendoza Municipal Park in Spring Lake, where I met Monty, the beautiful Carver's Creek State Park, also in Spring Lake (which was a total surprise) and the Cape Fear River Greenway in Fayetteville, also a wonderful spot. I had very low energy today because of driving back and forth to Concord, sitting down for a 3-hour recital, and not enough sleep. I wouldn't change a thing of course.  Wild horses couldn't keep me from Amelia and Claire's dance recital, and  Claire's Senior Solo dance. I also wanted to see Daniel and of course Cheryl again. But it is difficult being home, and that was my last visit before pushing on with this third and final leg of the Carolinas CAN Ruck for Autism. An old trestle spanning the Cape Fear River, with the...

Total Mileage : 12 Miles I headed back home to Concord as planned this morning, with two stops along the way to pick up some mileage, lest anyone accuse me of being a slacker!  I found a wonderful little park in Moore County and got in 7 miles just running around their trails and disc golf course. I found an old paupers cemetery way in the back of the grounds, most dated from thr 30's. Just a name and a year of death.  Who were these people? Where did they come from and how did they live? I said a prayer of remembrance and moved on. I hope these souls are remembered by other people. I drove about 45 minutes east to the Roy Maness park near Troy. It is a beautiful pond just surrounded by dogwoods, mountain laurels, and wildflowers.  A path circles the pond. As quietly as I walked, my presence was still sensed by the frogs, who splash noisily back into the pond, which in turn triggers a panic among the turtles sunning themselves on log and branches. ...

Total mileage: 25.54 miles (I  am not making these names up!) Another Dog Story: One mile in to today's run, two labs charge out into the street growling and snapping.  I growl back, there is some back and forth, and then, Voila!...we are all besties.  They are good dogs, healthy, but no collars, an older mommy dog and a younger pup. They then proceed to follow me for a mile on a grand adventure, running down the road, jumping through fields, coming back to the road. I'm petrified for their safety, as fun as this is.  Soon enough, a pickup truck rolls by and the driver asks me if I need any help.  I explained the dilemma, and he volunteered to take the dogs back a mile or so.  We pulled down the gate,  I dog-wrangled the puppers into the truck bed, and he turned the pickup around and headed back. I won't forget the look of betrayal on those fuzzy faces as their dreams of freedom came to an abrupt end and their new human slowly faded away in...

Total Mileage: 25.1 miles  I think there is no finer place in the world than to be walking down a Carolina country road early in May. Startling blue skies, puffy clouds, and fields of green everywhere. It induces introspection...how has this ruck changed me?  It has somewhat quieted the noise in my restless soul. I see things at ground level, both practically and metaphorically.  I meet people I might not have spoken to before. The world is full of well-intentioned people , but many are outside of our own circles of comfort. If we can extend our circles just a little bit..... Today was "dog day". At least a dozen dogs of all sizes chased me out into the road,  snapping and snarling. I was able to bark back a little louder at them, but still, a surprise awaited me around every corner. Besides that, the day was perfect in every way, as I slowly rucked between Seagrove and Carthage via Back Country Roads and avoiding the highway at all costs. Observa...

Total Mileage: 25.03 Miles . "Embrace the Suck" Today was so full of ups and downs, I started the day with a sore throat and feeling drained (I know, call the whaaaambulance ). I did not think I could possibly run 15 miles much less 25. It was cold and rainy and when Monty dropped me off at the starting point, it was shocking how windy it was. I basically walked the first seven feeling miserable but also more determined than ever, after hearing some encouraging words from people I love and admire. I wanted to get as far as I could go, whatever that distance was. Mentally I had the number 20. This is a common Runners trick, to set a goal that you think you can achieve, but secretly hope you surpass. Monty was awesome as usual, greeting me every 2  1/2 to 3 miles with some drink or food. I had to get in the car to warm up and stop shaking at Mile 10 or 12, but miraculously (or maybe it was just the weather), I started to feel a little better and the rain started to ...