Only a week and a half before this event I was recruited by my friend Mike Demerly to run the anchor leg for a team he was putting together for the local YMCA Xterra Scales Lake Triathlon. Mike had already recruited a great swimmer, "Jeff Willis" and with Mike doing the mountain bike portion, I was to fill the spot of running the anchor leg. The swim leg was 800 yards, the bike leg was 11 miles followed by a 3.3 mile (3.46 actual) run. While the swim portion of the course was relatively flat, the bike and run sections of the course are littered with lots of ups and downs.

Pictured from left to right is Jeff Willis, Mike Demerly and me (Midwest Jeff - the blogger). This event was held in Boonville, Indiana at Scales Lake Park. The best I can tell this was property that was strip mined many many years ago. Now the property is heavily wooded with a large lake in the center. 2009 was the first year for this event and I had actually swam for a team the preceding year. The lake is very clear and calm which makes for a nice swim. Additionally, this is still a smaller race so fighting traffic on the swim is minimal compared to some other races.

The weather the morning of the race was a little more favorable than anticipated with temps in the low 80's and lower humidity levels than expected. A welcome reprieve from the heat and humidity we had been experiencing for the past several days. After a short pre-race meeting, the competitors headed to the beach for the 8am start. Given that I was running I didn't want to spend a lot of time taking pics and visiting so I found some shade and parked in my deluxe captains lounge chair. I wanted to just get a couple pics of my team mates in their respective legs and conserve energy for my run.

Jeff (our secret weapon swimmer) came out of the water with a stellar time of 12:50 for his split. That would turn out to be the second fastest time recorded by any of the racers that day. Seen making his way up to T1 to make the handoff to Mike the mountain bike dude.

The bike portion of the race consisted of two 5.5 mile loops.

Here is our team captain screaming through the spectator section of the course getting ready to start his second loop. His presence also meant I had only about 35 minutes to get geared up for my portion of the race. Mike completed his second loop right on schedule and finished his portion with a very respectable time of 1:10.39. Having gotten suited up I eagerly awaited Mike's arrival into T2. Upon his arrival I snatched the timing chip off his leg and floundered with the confounded Velcro elastic thingy for about 30 seconds trying to get it on my leg. After getting the twists out of it, I was off. Now while I was waiting for Mike I was kinda keeping a count in my head trying to have an idea about how many people were out in front of me. I estimated around 16 to 20. My goal was to see how many I could catch. A couple of the other teams had a pretty good jump on us so I would focus on anybody I saw in front of me. I had only ran this course once but I really paid attention to the lay of the land while I jogged it just a few days before. The first mile of the course was actually pretty fast with some really nice trail conditions. Starting out along the road for about a half mile then finally ducking into the woods. There is a pretty steep 25 foot climb right at the entrance to the woods that I was mentally ready for. The woman that I had just passed moments before obviously wasn't ready for what was to come as I heard her sigh as she encountered the wall of dirt and roots. I have to admit I was laughing at this point. She was #1. A couple hundred yards later you drop off the ridge and veer back into a really flat section of nicely mowed trail. It's fast and a joy to run in minimal shoes. A quarter mile later starts the second longest climb of the course (about 100 yards). I topped that on no problem and went through the first mile under somewhere around the 7:50 mark. I had still only seen and passed one person however. I didn't know if I was running that slow or if everybody else was just running faster. But then I emerged onto the roadside again (after sliding down El Capitan) and subsequently, the baseball diamond. There I saw 3 to 4 runners strung out in front of me. Knowing I had another good mile of trail in front of me I kept my exertion level up and started focusing on #2. Within the next half mile #2, #3, and #4 hear the words "on your left". Moving along, the next half mile is littered with some small climbs, descents and sharp turns. I couldn't see anyone else out in front of me but I could hear someone. This is also where I heard another racer expressing his discontent with those confounded walls of earth. It was quite funny but I chose not to laugh this time as I wasn't exactly just abounding with energy to spare. Nonetheless, I emerged onto a flatter straighter section of trail and took aim at my next two visible targets. Within 200 yards #5 and #6 gave way. For the second time, I emerged onto open road for about a quarter mile where targets #7 and #8 came into view. About 2 miles into this race I wanted to be a bit careful on exertion level as I knew the hardest part of the course was to come. I had just clocked another mile around the 8 minute mark and I knew this was flirtin' with disaster. Staying within my means I made my way around #7 and after re-entering the woods - squeaked my way past #8 along the top of a ridgeline. Now obviously as I was moving up through the ranks the #'s were becoming more competitive. #8 decided he wanted to give chase and he did. He jumped on my heels but I held my pace. I wouldn't have cared if he came back around or not as I was insistent on running within my means and not blowing on this short course. He never came around me, he just stuck there - that is - until we hit a couple hills. Then it was "bye bye" #8. You gotta love minimal shoes! A couple minutes later, and for the third time, I emerged onto open road to see #9 and #10 and feel just how hot it had become. They were approaching the dam and I was a good 150 yards back. By this time I was feeling the effort a bit as I had just come off a tougher section of the course. In front of me was the last third of a mile or so of nice flat ground to enjoy before dropping back into the woods for a final 3/4 mile tough finish. I wanted to take advantage of it so I picked it up and tried to close the gaps on #9 and #10. By the time I had made it across the dam I had caught up to #9. I had closed in on #10 also but he was still a good 75 yards or so out in front and I lost sight of him as he re-entered the woods. After repelling down another cliff into the woods I came around #9. Now this dude was tough. He was a huffin' and puffin' and came back on me at least 3 times. The guy was really annoying me as I thought he was gonna have a heart attack tight there on the trail. Now granted, this is a really tough section of trail and I was definitely feeling it too. But finally, after a couple minutes the huffin' and puffin' sound grew more faint. I had finally dropped him only to hear myself huffin' and puffin' pretty good. I was tapped. With less than a quarter mile to go I was excited to hear the sound of timing chips crossing the mats off in the distance. #10 would cross

before me as I never caught him. I'm not even sure if I gained on him that last half mile as I couldn't see him. I crossed the finish line feeling pretty good about my effort. I was definitely hurtin' at the finish.

Here is a pic of the "catch map". Nobody passed me on the run which also meant that I didn't get "chicked" this time. I usually always do. Maybe I need to stick with Xterra events! Anyway, it took me a few minutes to recoup. My split was 29:06 which worked out to a 8:25 average. The "Wacky Willis" team finished 4th out of 7 teams with a cumulative time of 1:53.30. For a group of middle-aged dudes, I think we held our own pretty good! Overall I really enjoyed running this course and getting the opportunity to race with and visit with my friends. The YMCA has done a great job with this race and I sincerely hope to once again participate in 2011.

After almost a year of waiting and with great anticipation, I finally had the opportunity to compete in the Indian Celina Challenge. This is a smaller trail race that takes place in the Indian-Celina Lakes Recreation Area located in the Hoosier National Forest in Southern Indiana. My inspiration to compete in this race began over one year ago. My son Tyler and I had just finished hiking the "Two Lakes Loop Trail" which winds around both Indian and Celina Lakes for approximately 13 miles. Both of us were exhausted having just completed the hike on what seemed like a never-ending climb. As we were stowing our gear away in the car, another man and his daughter were just returning from the trail also. What struck me as odd was that they were wearing running clothes and were dripping with sweat. Curiosity got the best of me and in striking up a conversation with the man I learned that they had just RAN the entire trail. I had a difficult enough time just hiking it and these folks just ran the whole thing! That 5 minute conversation left me in awe of what they had accomplished. That same gentleman was also the one who told me about this race.

Days would pass and my thoughts would continually drift back to the conversation I had with that gentleman in the parking lot. I was so intrigued and impressed by their ability to run that trail that somewhere deep inside I had already made the decision to strive for that same objective and compete in the Indian Celina Challenge in 2010. This is where my journey to complete this race began. (April of 2009) Although I had been training for a triathlon I was in no kind of shape to run a half-marathon - especially one that hilly. With much determination however, I returned to the trail (hereinafter referred to as "the loop") several times during the summer and fall of 2009 to hike "the loop" while gradually integrating running longer sections of it (which weren't very long). By the end of 2009 I had worked up to running 3 to 4 mile stretches of the loop while walking the big climbs. Albeit slow, I had made some progress. In the meantime I had already done my online homework trying to learn as much as I could about the "the loop" and the race itself. Registration for the race didn't open until the first or second week of January 2010 and being that the race had a limited number of slots, my registration and $$$ were in the mail the day registration opened. After telling my son Tyler that I had registered for the race, he decided he wanted to participate also. We got his registration sent off and I started counting down the months - and really getting serious about successfully running the entire loop - nonstop! During January I registered to compete in 2 half-marathons (one being this race) and 2 half-ironmans. That was also when I embarked on a very demanding training regimen to prepare for my events, all of which were still many months away. This training also included several trips to "the loop" with one objective - "run the entire 13 miles without stopping". An objective that would elude me for several months. Meanwhile, we rolled into April and I had my first half-marathon in Evansville. Tyler elected to run that race with me and each of us did much better than we expected; finishing around the 1:45 mark. I had never raced that distance; so for me this was simply a tune-up run / confidence builder for the event I really had my sights set on - Indian-Celina. Of all the events I registered for, the one event that I was most excited about was Indian Celina! And it all stemmed from that 5 minute conversation in the parking lot. Yet, I still had not successfully run the entire loop without stopping. Several more trips and several more attempts - And then it happened; on May 8th, 2010 I ran the entire loop nonstop. It was a perfect day for running and trail conditions were very good. I'll never forget the feeling that overcame me about 8 miles into the run. Running alone, surrounded by the beauty of the forest, and feeling great, I was literally thanking God for that moment and that experience. My health and fitness level had come a very long way since I had met that man in the parking lot over one year ago. I knew that this day was going to be the day I would successfully run the loop without stopping - and I did! I finished that loop with tears in my eyes. During the drive home I felt like I had just won "gold" at the Olympics. I was ready for the Indian-Celina Challenge.

Here is my Garmin data for that day. The difficulty of this course is evident in the mile splits. Just a few weeks earlier I had averaged 7:59 mile splits in my first half marathon. There is simply no comparison when running on this type of terrain. The elevation gain for one loop around this course is somewhere between 3000 and 4000 feet. Garmin devices tend to skew this number but more simply said, one lap around this course would get you half way up the Barr Trail at Pikes Peak. By the way, click on any of the pictures for the high-res image.

So now that you know what inspired me to sign up for this event and the journey that got me here, lets fast forward to Saturday, June 12th, 2010. It's Race Day!

This race took place at 6:30am. Being that Tyler and I had a one hour drive to get there we needed to depart bright and early. Additionally, that called for a stronger pot of coffee that morning. We were on the road at 4:30am. Here is the blogger (yeah that's me) taking in the last few last sips of caffeine during the drive to the race. It is also worth mentioning here that during the previous 2 days the race site had been pelted by thunderstorms. A large squall line had also rolled through the area just hours before. Remember, this is a trail race and when you mix rain with dirt we all know what forms - mud! However, it had quit raining and the temp at 4:30 in the morning was a very humid 78 degrees; forecasted to only be around 81 degrees at 9am (about the time I was hoping to complete the course). That was good news.

I decided to stop at the rest area en route to relieve myself of the coffee and take care of business. We were only 20 minutes from the race site but this was purely a strategic move as I knew the water closets in the park were limited in number and did not feature indoor plumbing.

Here is our approach into Perry County that morning as it was starting to get light out. Note the hills in the distance, note the humidity already visible in the air, and note the Interstate still wet from the squall line that had rolled through shortly before. In the words of the race director, "race conditions were perfect". As a side note, I recently read that Perry County is the "hilliest" county in Indiana.

Just a short while later we arrived at our destination.

Here is the check - in tent located just inside the park entrance. Fortunately the wait was very short.

This is the parking area at Indian Lake. That's Tyler on the left and one of the premier water closets on the right. I wouldn't be needing that today because I planned ahead!

Here was our ride to the Rickenbaugh House located on Lake Celina. The location of the start/finish line for the race. As parking was very limited at the site, we were asked to use the lot at Indian Lake about 3 miles away. Hence the need for the shuttle.

A pic at the Indian Lake boat ramp featuring participants eagerly awaiting the shuttle bus. Incidentally, the woman with the pink top on - I would be seeing her several more times that day.

Here is Tyler just before the race start. He was feeling much better having just watered some poison ivy as the line at the lieu was too long.

And here is the blogger just prior to the race. It's worth noting some choices in gear at this point. More importantly, the strategy behind choosing my gear. Starting at the top and working my way down I'll begin with the Halo bandanna. About two weeks prior to the race I had made the trip to the loop for a final practice run. As soon as I got out of the car my semi-bald head immediately became the "JFK" for bugs. I wasn't getting bitten, I could just feel the little critters landing up there. As I embarked on my training run I guess air traffic controllers redirected all the forest traffic to the newly proclaimed JFK "bugport". This lasted the entire 13 miles. Although I wasn't getting bit, it was extremely annoying. Later that day I would return home and pay a visit to eBay for the remedy. I truthfully didn't care if a hive of bees were hitchhiking up there, I just didn't want to know that they were there. Now what makes this even more amusing is the email sent out by the race director just a few days before the race - with an emphasis on the third paragraph.

I definitely got a laugh as I read the email. Fortunately, I was prepared and my solution to the bug problem was somewhere out there in Fed-Ex land. Next was the Under Armor tight shirt. There were two primary reasons for selecting this garment. One being that it didn't hold water, and two is that it wouldn't be flapping in the breeze to snag on one of the several briar patches encroaching on the trail. I enjoy running while listening to my 90's Eurodance tunes (yeah - I've always kinda marched to the beat of a different drummer whereas my music preference is concerned) so given this race was MP3 legal, you'll see my little green iPod Shuffle clipped to my newly acquired Nathan Speed 4 hydration belt which is next on the list.

I debated heavily whether to carry fluids or just live off the course. During all of my training runs at the loop I wore a hydration backpack and was able to take in fluids at-will. There were 3 water stations on the course that I could utilize but my concern was how far apart they were (mile markers 4, 7 and 11). Now that may not seem that far but 4 miles between water stops in that terrain, humidity and heat can seem like an eternity. Especially the section between miles 7 and 11 as this is the most difficult part of the course. I had trained being able to take on water at- will so I elected to purchase a hydration belt as it would be a little less cumbersome than a hydration pack. The Nathan Speed 4 hydration belt was my solution. The night before the race I filled all the bottles (totaling 40 oz.) and weighed it - just 3 pounds! I had no doubt that the benefit of being able to take fluids at-will would far out weigh the sacrifice of the added weight. I filled two bottles with Gatorade and the other two with water for raceday.

Any finally, my last significant choice of gear were my trusty ole $8 CVS Aqua Socks (minimal running shoes). This is actually a pic of them taken after the race. Running through water and mud on the loop is not a choice, it's a necessity; and running with waterlogged, mud-laden shoes is not fun - especially when climbing long hills. The primary benefit here (outside of the joy of running in minimal footwear) was weight. Combined with my $16 wool socks, water evacuates from these shoes very quickly. Additionally, there is no tread on the bottom of these shoes for mud to accumulate in. So there you have it. As you can probably tell, I did my homework. There was only one thing left to do - RACE! And this portion is the bittersweet part of this blog entry. Being that I was racing, I really didn't want to stop and take pictures along the way - at least not this year. I'll simply share my experience as I made my way over the course and try to include some pics of previous visits to the trail so you can get an idea of what I am describing. Tyler and I just had a few short minutes get ourselves to the starting line after getting off the bus. We quickly geared up and joined the rest of the 100 or so racers lined up for the big event. Chris Hollinden (the race director) reassured us that race conditions were perfect and he quickly began his countdown, 5-4-3-2-1 and we were off! No fancy timing mats, no guns or horns - just Go! Somewhere in the middle of the pack I started my tunes and hit the button on my Garmin and I was off with Tyler in tow.

Now being that this was my first trail race I was somewhat curious as to how this would play out because less than 100 yards away 100+ people were going to be funneling into a very narrow section of the trail. Less than one minute later I would get my answer. Have you ever heard of the toy called a "Slinky"? The entire group of people were now "single file" on the trail replicating what I would refer to as the "slinky effect" (run a few yards - walk a few yards, run a few yards - walk a few yards). Additionally, it became very apparent just how muddy the trails had become.

Above is the exact section of trail I am referring to. Note the trail on the left side of the pic. This pic was taken in April of 2009 as are the others I am providing for reference. You may also notice the white diamond on the tree. If you don't see one of these for a while then you guessed it - you made a wrong turn. No worries though, I knew every inch of this trail by heart. Anyway, I participated in the very slow slinky effect for a couple more minutes until I saw a hole (by hole I mean some 3 foot tall weeds growing along the trail). I saw this as my opportunity to escape the dreaded effect and I made my move, again with Tyler in tow. Plowing through the weeds Tyler and I almost immediately passed over 20 people and successfully escaped into open trail. Truthfully, I was very surprised how quickly the pack thinned out. We were less than 5 minutes into the race and I was running by myself, Oh yeah - and Tyler was right there with me. Going into this race my pacing plan was to stretch it out on the flats and downhills while baby-stepping the significant climbs. Just a few minutes into the race I expectantly altered my race strategy due to trail conditions. The trails were simply just too muddy to really push it. I had my first half-ironman in 4 weeks and I did not want to risk serious injury and jeopardize my whole triathlon season which I had trained so hard for. This was a case of Risk vs. Reward and the risk of injury far outweighed the reward of possibly shaving a few minutes off my race time. I still pushed it when I safely could, but I decided within the first couple miles that I would stay within control on the downhills and the other technical parts of the loop.

About 15 minutes into the race I was running alone; or at least I thought I was until someone came around me on my left side. To my surprise it was Tyler. We were on a wider section of trail somewhere in this vicinity when he came around me. As I was jammin' to my tunes, I had no idea he was behind me. As a side note here - given that the race director was gracious enough to allow MP3 players, I would look over my shoulder every quarter mile or so to see if anyone was approaching from my six-o-clock. I always stayed to the right of the trail when possible to allow enough room for people to get around me. Anyway, Tyler was looking pretty chipper and I jumped in behind him. What Tyler probably didn't know was that we were approaching our first significant climb. (Once again I had this trail memorized) Less than 2 minutes later we arrived at the first big climb and that would be the last time I saw Tyler until the finish line. Tyler had not trained for this event as much I had and his experience running hills was minimal to say the least. Had Tyler trained for this race as I had, he would have certainly smoked me on this course. Tyler was also racing in minimal shoes that day. Nonetheless, I was grateful he was participating in the race as I always enjoy running with him and sharing the experience. Once again I was on my own and ever so carefully watching my every footstep. The first 3.5 miles of the loop is dotted with some pretty good mudholes and that's when conditions are dry! Now the mudholes were deeper, longer, and more numerous. Somewhere around 2.5 miles in I was really starting to feel like I was going "over the edge" yet I knew I wasn't running too terribly quickly. I've experienced this a few times before on this trail usually between miles 2 and 3. I'm not sure what causes it but I was really wondering if I would need to walk and catch my breath. I'm beginning to think that the act of contending with the mud while continually ascending and descending just puts the zap on your body and cardio system. Fortunately however, there are a couple relatively long downhills around 3 miles in that seem to provide enough relief to recover from the "zap factor".

One of those downhills lands you here at what is actually the third creek-bed crossing. This one is a little over 3 miles into the race and typically fairly dry. But, falling back on my experience, I knew the relief would be short lived as I had learned - When running "The Loop", if you cross a creek-bed, get ready for a significant climb! And the one after this little ditch is tough!. This climb would be the only time I would walk on this course today. It was only a 10 yard walk but the incline begins very steep and the footing was so bad I had to grab onto whatever I could to make it up those few yards. Albeit a long climb, the really steep grade here is only about 25 yards long so within 45 seconds or so I was back running again. It was here that I also realized I was starting to pass people on the climbs. I was about 3.5 miles in and had probably passed 3 to 4 people on the hills while I got passed by 2 to 3 other people on the downhills or flat sections of the course. One of the slight disadvantages of the minimal shoes in this terrain is the downhill sections. One wrong step could result in broken bones in the foot so I had to really stay in control on those descents. Anyway, although not completely recovered from the "zap-factor", I was starting to find my rhythm on the course that day. It felt slow and I didn't have the bounce in my step that I was looking for but I felt good enough to enjoy the race and not have to walk. I finally emerged onto the dam at Lake Celina. Thank goodness they mowed it as two weeks prior the grass was waist-high and very difficult to run through. This is also one of my favorite parts of the course as the view is incredible.

The far side of the dam (left side of pic) would be the location of our first water station. Seen below is the view from atop the dam. You may also recognize this photo as it currently serves as the banner photo on MidwestJeff.com.

As I emerged onto the dam I saw 3 or 4 runners spread out making their way towards the water station. A quick inventory of my hydro showed I was in great shape so I elected to pass this station up - in addition to the 10 or so runners standing there. Unlike a road race, getting water at a aid station here meant stopping to drink it as the footing is too rough to try and drink on the run. Of all the runners standing at that station, I only saw one catch back up to me a couple miles later. I had actually talked with that guy before the race. A very nice fellow from Santa Claus, IN. Probably in his 50's and a very strong runner. Before I headed back into the forest I made quick peak over my shoulder to see if Tyler had made his way out onto the dam yet. There was no sight of him and I made my way back into the forest and started to take advantage of some more favorable trail conditions. That meant better footing and fewer mudholes. It was still slick but much more pleasurable than that first 3 miles of perpetual slop. This was also the first time I took a good look at the Garmin. I was 4 miles in and right at 40 minutes. At a 10 minute per mile pace I was a little ahead of my best effort on this trail so far. Given the trail conditions and the 2 or so minutes of participating in the "slinky effect" I was a bit surprised I was making that good of time.

This is also where the first very long climb begins. This ascent continues for over 3/4 of a mile and it's a very gradual climb but it certainly can zap you if you are not prepared. This is one of the climbs that never seems to end. I stayed as relaxed as I could and made it over the top without pegging my heart rate too bad. I also picked off another runner on that climb. Just a few minutes later I had arrived at what is probably the best downhill on the entire loop. Almost a mile long on relatively good trail with pretty good footing. Up to this point I had spent the majority of the race running without seeing anyone else out on the course. That was about to change however as I was half way down the descent and I got "chicked" (passed by a woman). I'm a pretty humble guy and I didn't want to go over the edge trying to keep up with her so I elected to stay my pace. That decision paid off as just a few minutes later on the final small climb before emerging on Indian Lake dam, the "chicker" was about to get "old-duded" (yeah - that's me) as she was walking up the hill. Little did I know that this cycle would repeat itself many times over for the next several miles. Have you ever seen the movie "Groundhog Day"? Well, you get the general idea.

As I emerged onto the dam at Indian Lake I was once again grateful they had cut the grass. I maybe saw one other runner crossing the dam in front of me but other than that, I saw no one else. Even the water station at the far end of the dam was empty. Once again I inventoried my hydro and much to my surprise I still had plenty. I double checked my water once again to be sure I didn't need to refill at the aid station, for beyond that was over 4 miles of very tough trail before we would see the next water stop.

And as you look across Indian Lake you can see a hill that holds a rigorous 3/4 mile climb in store for you. It's the one way off in the distance in the top middle of the photo. Probably the toughest climb of the race, but we're not there yet so let's move on. Once again, I arrived at the decision to bypass the aid station and proceed into the most difficult section of the loop. Additionally I had planned to take in a Gu gel at this point but I simply wasn't hungry and really didn't had the stomach for it. I had fueled up pretty well the couple days preceding the race and I knew I would be fine. After getting "rechicked" by the woman I "old-duded" walking the hill I did my exit right and re-entered the forest. I wasn't too concerned as I knew I would be seeing her again very soon. The next mile of the trail is characterized by lots of stones that are just the perfect size for bruising your feet. It's a fairly flat section but once again I stayed well in control to avoid a misstep. Now in my humble opinion, this trail has 3 climbs that stand out above all others with regards to the level of difficulty. But more importantly, the amount of mental anguish these 3 ascents can dish out to the unsuspecting hiker / runner. Each climb stands out in its' own special way. Climb #1 (6.75 miles in) as I call it is only about 1/4 mile long but it is incredibly steep and the footing is cruddy. Climb #2 (8.25 miles in) is the one I mentioned in the picture above. It starts out very steep and slowly eases off to "just steep" for around 3/4 of a mile. You think you're done climbing and around a bend in the trail awaits more hill. And Climb #3 (9.5 miles in) - I call this Heartbreak Hill - is usually accomplished with soaking wet, muddy feet as you just crossed a creek that is usually full of water followed by a stretch of trail that resembles a rice paddy. This ascent stretches out for well over a half mile and continually gets steeper and steeper. It will start to level out but as you round a bend in the trail you get treated to even a steeper section than the last. You think you've made it to the top and another bend in the trail treats you again. This happens 3 times on this puppy and the last treat is a bear! Anyway, I had just arrived at Climb #1. Backed by my experience, I shifted into "baby-step" mode and puttered up the very steep incline. I once again "old-duded" the "chick" that "rechicked" me on the dam along with one or two other racers. The reward for this ascent was the long slight downhill on the other side. The trail here is actually very good and can be very fast if the grass isn't too tall. I took advantage of that section and picked it up just slightly. And then something happened which truly made me chuckle. I got "triple chicked". Yeah that's right - passed by 3 women at once. They cruised by me like I was standing still. I wouldn't see two of them again until the finish line. The third women that came flying by would soon be participating in the "Groundhog Day" effect with me all the way to the finish line. Remember the woman in the pink top? Then, shortly thereafter - you guessed it - I got "re-rechicked" by the chick I old-duded for the second time on Climb #1 less than a mile back. I really did find quite a bit of humor in the whole scenario and was actually laughing aloud just thinking about it. I could go home and tell all my triathlon buddies about getting "triple chicked". I truly didn't care. One nice thing about getting old is the ability to find humor in situations like this even at your own expense.

Here is a pic of that section of trail about 7.5 miles into the loop. This is the last 200 yards or so of that long downhill section and this is the only bridge on the entire loop. So as I crossed the bridge I was running alone again. Here is where I started to mentally prepare myself for the tasks that awaited me in close succession, Climb #2 and Climb #3. Climb #2 was less than 7 minutes away and I tried to make sure I was relaxed and hydrated.

I had arrived at the headwaters of Indian Lake (which as you can see is generally somewhat soggy) and had only a few hundred yards to the biggest climb of the day. Without hesitation I trudged straight through the soggy portion of the trail and once again down-shifted into "baby-step" mode as I made the left turn up the hill. The first 50 yards of the climb is very steep but quickly shallows out to "just steep" as previously mentioned. Just for reference, we are now climbing the hill pictured in the photo of Indian Lake as viewed from the dam. Here I would once again pass the woman I originally got chicked by and one of the other women from the trio that came flying by me earlier. The woman that was part of the trio would be the only one that would catch back up to me that day.

I stayed focused and made sure not to peg my heart-rate too much on this part of the climb as I knew I would be climbing another monster within minutes. True to plan I came over the top of Climb #2 panting pretty good but not over the edge. As for my reward in completing Climb #2 - well there wasn't one. Now it was time to make a somewhat hairy descent to the creek where we will get our feet nice and soaked before arriving at Climb #3.

The water is low as seen here but remember that this pic was taken over a year earlier. Today the water was muddy and about 10 inches deep. The bank here was a slick sheet of mud from the previous traffic and as I made my way up the bank I began running the the rice paddy section of the trail. My feet were slippin' and slidin' quite a bit here for a minute or so but my handy little Aqua Shoes and wool socks did their job and I would arrive at Climb #3 with damp - but not soaked feet.

I have always been intrigued by this grove of pine trees. I'm assuming they were hit by a tornado as many of them are dead. Additionally, most of the pine groves I have seen are at the top of the hills but this one is in a very low-lying area at the bottom of what I have been referring to as Climb #3. This is also a section where briar patches are encroaching on the trail. Extreme caution has to be used when running through this section as it would be easy to catch a briar in the face or eye. Anyway, here I was at the base of Climb #3. I was feeling ok considering I had been running through mud for the last 9.5 miles, been chicked, rechicked, triple chicked, and hadn't passed out from the humidity or hills yet. So what the heck, let's get our butt up that hill, and I did. Heartbreak Hill started out as expected but that last "hidden" 100 yards of it really pegged me this time. I knew it was there but fatigue was setting in and I struggled to keep some forward momentum going. Upon cresting the hill I maintained a nice easy pace for a minute to recover and get my wind back. I had survived the three majors and I was back on the move again! My reward for completing Climb #3 - I knew between here and the finish line (about 3 miles away) there was only one hill that was worth fretting over and that hill was within a half mile of the finish line. Regardless of how bad I may be feeling at that point, I knew I would make it. As I knew I was quickly approaching the water station at mile 11 I once again checked my inventory and decided to pass it up as I had plenty of Gatorade left - almost a full bottle. Interestingly enough, I was much preferring water at this point but had ran out a couple miles back. It may have been the humidity but for whatever reason, Gatorade just didn't sound good. It would get me to the finish line however. Then I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the trail about 100 yards in front of me. A man, wife and their child in one of those running strollers. Don't ask me how they managed that on this trail but here they were in real life. I smiled at them and yelled "Great Job" as I passed by. I had also passed one younger guy at the water station but he came back around me less than a mile later. He had noticed my Aqua shoes and asked me how my feet were feeling. I replied "Great" and they were. It made me think back to my first run in minimal shoes. My calves were screamin' at me a mile and a half into that run, and here I was 8 months later running an off-road half in them with no discomfort at all. That is - until I hit the pavement.

With just under a mile and a half to go, the runners briefly get to see a little bit of civilization as the trail brings you onto the road for about 100 yards before disappearing back into the woods. I can run just fine on asphalt with my minimal shoes but when you have been running on soft trails for 11+ miles and hit the asphalt - it jolts you. I also felt like I was running very slow right here. On the trail you constantly have the forest moving past you in close proximity but when you hit open road that point of reference changes. It just felt like I had downshifted a couple gears. Maybe it's just my perception but I thought I'd interject that little thought. Regardless, I was back in the woods in short order and my feet were thanking me for it. I also felt like I was running faster again. Just ONE hill to go baby and the Indian Celina Dream would become a reality! With about 1 mile to go I got passed by another gentleman and the "pink top" woman who was part of the fast trio some miles back. I passed both of them on the final ascent but with the finish line only a half mile away they quickly came back around shortly after I topped the last hill. I had no aspirations of making a race of it at that point as I knew the last 1/3 of a mile was a fairly steep asphalt downhill and I simply didn't want to take the pounding on the descent. All 3 of us emerged onto the road within yards of each other and it was all downhill from here. Just a minute or so later, I would cross the finish line. There were no time clocks, just a few spectators and nobody calling out names on the bullhorn. It was just me and the exhilaration of realizing a dream that had started during a conversation with a man 13 months ago. That chance meeting took place less than 10 yards from the finish line for this race. I had hoped to have some photos of my finish but I wasn't able to manage that today. Then, much to my excitement, the race director emailed us the results along with a link to a gallery of photos another family took. And I couldn't believe my fortune!

Just yards before the finish my moment was captured. To the family that took this photo I am very grateful. Thank You! After crossing the finish line I spent a minute or two regaining my composure and went in search of the camera. My son Tyler was still out on the course and I wanted to try and get some pics of him crossing the line. I had no idea how far back he was so I just stayed close to the finish line while talking to some of the other racers and getting a few photos of others finishing. I just got a few but as they say - a picture is worth a thousand words.

This gent here is probably wondering why I am taking a picture of him. It was because he was there. And, he looked really strong crossing the line.

These folks were absolutely amazing and the smiles on their face say it all. They drew more applause then anyone else I saw finish. And then my favorite:

I would like to think that this gentleman is experiencing the shear joy of participating in and finishing this race as I did. The expression on his face is priceless. Most of the runners I saw finish this race were smiling ear to ear even though they had just completed a grueling race. Again this is just my humble observation but I really got the impression that most of the people racing here today were here moreso to share their achievements and personal victories with others rather than trying to best their fellow man or woman. This race definitely had a different feel to it than a typical road race. Again, that's just my opinion. Anyway, a little while had passed (not sure exactly how long) and I saw Tyler just coming through the finish line. Darn-it! I had missed getting pics of him finishing. And then I noticed something - Tyler had his Aqua Shoes in his hand (remember - he runs minimal too). I couldn't believe it!

After talking to him Tyler had completed the last 4 miles of the course completely barefoot. Some of those sections of trail were really hairy and I asked to see the bottom of his feet. Pruned and muddy but not a scratch!

Tyler started running in minimal shoes with me in October of 2009. He has one of the prettiest running forms I have seen since he went minimal. His form is incredibly smooth and he can be very fast when he wants to be. You may be seeing him running for the Bosse High School cross-country team next season as he plans to participate. Anyway, with Tyler back it was time to enjoy some post-race activities. First and fourmost was to get cleaned up and dried off. While Tyler decided he wanted me to enjoy the aroma of his "BO" the entire entire ride home, I decided to join in the attempt to turn the boat ramp into a beach.

Now I generally don't make a habit of breaking rules but that water just looked way too tempting. Plus, why not get some "OWS" (open water swim) practice in while I am here. Afterall, I had a triathlon in 4 weeks.

Now refreshed and with some dry feet it was time to get some food. Tyler and I both were starving after the race. I had heard a few people say how good the cheeseburgers were so I elected to try one out. They were great! So I had another one! "Brunch"

As did Tyler

Our compliments to the chef - he was a little camera shy.

I also took a moment to say "Thank You" to the race director Chris Hollinden (as seen here on the right) for his efforts in organizing a truly great event. Tyler and I had completed the race, we didn't get hurt, we had some great food and we had shared another great experience together once again. And then something happened as were were packing up our stuff for the shuttle ride back to Indian Lake parking lot.

I saw this man getting ready to start his second loop on the course. What I hadn't mentioned was of the 100+ runners that started, almost 30 of them were racing a full marathon (two laps around the loop!) and this was one of those 30 or so. I had seen a few of the marathoners come by but for some reason this fellow stood out to me. He came past the spectators and the aid station. Nobody was cheering, probably not too many people noticed. It was just him, and (I'm guessing his wife checking on him) and the trail in front of him, another 13 miles of it! This vision immediately became etched in my head. On the drive home I kept thinking about this fellow out there on the course. I wondered - how hot was it getting in the forest now? I wondered - what motivated him to take on such a grueling task. I wondered - where was he from and what led him to participate in this race? I wondered - would he finish? And I wondered - Could I do that? Could I possibly get myself ready to run a full-mary on this course in 2011. I don't know what the answers to these questions are but I know what makes me tick. 13 months ago it was the actions of a man and his daughter and a short conversation that motivated me and led me to this race. 12 months from now it will have been the vision in this photo that inspired me to once again be on the starting line at the Indian-Celina Challenge, the only difference is that I will be signed up for the full marathon. Here is the gallery of all the photos I took at this event and here is the gallery of all the photos taken on the trail in April of 2009.

First let me say that although I have this blog categorized as a Race Report I need to clarify that I did not compete in this event. I was fortunate enough to obtain a ride from my friend and training partner Cody Riley who was racing that day. Cody showed up on my doorstep about 4:45 am and an hour plus a water closet break later we arrived at Moffit Lake Recreation Area just outside of Morganfield, Ky. The time was around 6am and there were only a handful of cars in the parking area - most of which belonged to the race volunteers. (the race didn't start until 8am) Lucky for me that gave me plenty of time to wonder around the grounds a bit and once again enjoy the great outdoors - and the humidity.

As you can see, the registration area wasn't too busy just yet. It must be noted however, they were well prepared for the arriving racers. I have to admit that the occasional thought that "I could be home in bed" crossed my mind more than once, but, I was here in support of my training buddy and I was going to see this thru. Fortunately for me, the coffee started kicking in and I was looking forward to watching the pre-race activities unfold. Within a half an hour, the bike laden vehicles started rolling in.

It was shaping up to be a beautiful day albeit a little on the warm side.

A short while after the large influx of vehicles several of the race participants from the Evansville area starting gathering and this is where I had the opportunity to meet several other triathletes that train in different circles. This is when I also had the idea of collecting names, emails and race numbers as I would attempt to get photographs of the Evansville clan racing and post the pics online for free downloading. It seemed like a good thing to do as I would have plenty of idle time while the racers were out on the course. I also thought about the fact that I would have liked to had more pictures of me racing in my events without having to pay an arm and a leg for them.

Seen here (from left to right) are Wayne Ricketts, Mason Flake, Matt Bartsch (yawning), Dennis Kiesel, Mount Davis (rubbing the sleep out of his eye) and Cody Riley (my ride to the event).

Seen here is Matt discussing something of great importance with Dennis prior to the race. As you can see, Dennis is politely listening, however; quietly conserving his energy so he can use it on the course. And believe me he did! I had the opportunity to re-connect with Dennis after many years and I was amazed to learn that he has been participating in triathlons since 1998. I really like this pic as it exemplifies that regardless of our age and/or abilities, triathlon provides us a common ground on which we can share or knowledge and experience.

Here is Mount and Cody (my training partner) before the race. Once again, both very fierce competitors who both went on to podium in their age groups!

Cody and Blake Voges (winner of the 2009 1st Annual YMCA Offroad Triathlon at Scales Lake) setting up their transition area. Blake also went on to podium in his age group. Congrats Blake!

Here is Tony Goodwin setting up his transition area. Tony just completed a Half Ironman in Florida just a couple weeks before this race. Way to go Tony!

Here we are using age progression technology and photo enhancement to show Matt 35 years later (on the right). If you look very closely, you'll actually see that their features are very much alike. It's almost scary. Actually, This is Paul Ferguson and he also went on to podium in the Clydesdale division. Great job once again! On a side note, I met Paul at the pool at Bob's Gym in Newburgh early in 2009. Paul was the one who told me about the Southern Indiana Triathlon Club which I subsequently joined. Being a member of that club has been a great source of training, knowledge and fellowship.

Another pic of the lake prior to the event.

Another pic of Matt - oops - I mean Paul and Cody taking in some hydration before the race.

Hopefully nobody will be needing a ride in this today.

Pre-Race meeting.

Off to the swim start. Finally - my nerves were starting to get the better of me.

The washing machine. An interesting little tidbit here. As "all" the racers were out in the water I struck up a conversation with one of the locals and he said this lake was loaded with snakes - no joke! Anyway, we had an ambulance on hand and I figured if a snake saw this mass coming they turn tail and run (swim) as fast as they could anyway. Now at this point I'm just going to post a few race photos and skip to the post race activities as there are simply too many race photos to get into this blog. I took about 100 pics at this race and you can view and download the entire collection here. Please note that I am not a very good photographer but I did my best to catch everybody in all stages of the race. I sincerely hope you enjoy this blog and the pics.

Here is Blake on the water exit. Blake was first out of the water for the Evansville group to the best of my knowledge.

Once again here is Matt (the younger version) on the final climb coming into T2. Matt was in second overall at this point coming off the bike about a minute or two behind the leader Barry Knight.

Barry Knight went on to be the overall winner of this event - seen here crossing the finish line.

Wayne Ricketts crossing the finish line. Wayne also went on to podium in his age group!

Matt - (I mean Paul) - crossing the finish line!

A post race discussion among some of the Evansville clan. Note here that Dennis is no longer trying to conserve his energy as he shares his triathlon wisdom with the youngsters.

Post-Race nutrition. Pizza!

And finally, here is a pic of Matt "humbly" accepting his award for 2nd Place Overall. Note I did manage to get photos of all the Evansville group receiving their awards but you'll need to go the the album to get them as they are too numerous to post here. In closing, I would like to say that I truly enjoyed watching everyone race. I was truly inspired by the efforts of the Evansville racers and I sincerely enjoyed getting more acquainted with each of them. Enjoy the pics and once again - Great job everyone! By the way, if you happen to be sidelined at any of my races in the future, get some photos for me! Once again, here is the link to all of the photos taken at this event.

During the month of October 2009 I starting running in "minimal" shoes. Now what led me down that path is a whole other story and we'll save that for another blog entry. This blog is just an attempt to share some info regarding some inexpensive shoes that are currently available at your local CVS store for a whoppin' $7.99. Most normal people out there could care less about the current availability of these "water shoes", "aqua socks", "beach shoes", or whatever else they may be called but if you're a minimal runner or triathlete trying to get your hands on a pair of these fine pieces of footwear during the month of October you are pretty much "SOL" See, by October in Southwest Indiana it has cooled down enough that the marketing gurus of virtually every chain store around have determined that nobody in their right mind is gonna buy a pair of "water shoes" this late in the year so what do they do? - They yank every pair off the shelves and send them who knows where. All I know is that you cannot find them in October - At least around here. Fortunately however, there are a few alternatives albeit a little more costly. But lets stick with the CVS deal for the moment. My work allows me the opportunity to frequent many of the CVS stores in the tri-state quite often as I regularly service their CCTV (video) systems. It was during one of these visits that I noticed the "Aqua Socks" (as they call them) in the seasonal aisle. Although I already had two other pair of minimal shoes, I stopped to check out the goods.

As you can see here, they aren't packaged to terribly fancy but the bright colors just jump up and grab you. Now if you are partial to yellow, you'll need to have some pretty small feet as those are only available in kids sizes. The black ones are in mens sizes and well - you guessed it - the blue ones are sized for women.

And the best part! The everyday regular price is a whoppin $7.99 (plus tax) Notice that these shoes are a "Super Value". They also "fit right", "feel great" and are "skid resistant". I mean - what else could one hope for? Perhaps if they just lowered the price a few bucks - wouldn't that be great. Either way - I had a trail race coming up pretty soon and given that the sole on these shoes was a little thicker than my normal minimal running shoes, I decided to splurge and buy me a pair. After all, I'm constantly reading on the forums about people shelling out $100 plus bucks online for VFF's (Vibram Five Fingers) when they can't even try them on. Heck, I plopped my butt down right in the middle of the aisle, shucked my moccasins and started trying on the Tru-Fit Aqua Socks right then and there. Yeah, I got a few funny looks from other store patrons as I was snapping photos and trying on shoes but I didn't care. Afterall, I had already shut down the CCTV system so it wasn't like they would have me on camera or anything. The cool part is that I could buy 10-15 pair of these bad boys for what some people were paying for one pair of minimal shoes.

Now, I will honestly say, these shoes truly do "fit great" as advertised. They wrap nicely around your feet and there was no annoying material sticking out inside the shoe to aggravate your feet. Additionally, the drawstring in the back of the shoe enables you to snug it up nice and comfy. This is extremely important for a trail runner because we know what can happen if you run through a nice soft mudhole. Suction wins out and you end up entirely barefoot. Not with these puppies though - the drawstring works perfectly. After trying on several pair and smiling at several store patrons stepping over me, I determined the best size for me was a mens size 7-8. One interesting note here is that one year ago I was wearing size 10.5 shoes. Since I started running in minimal shoes my feet have shrank considerably, probably as a result of much much higher arches. I'll talk more about this in another blog. I also prefer my minimal shoes to be very tight to eliminate movement within the shoe itself as this has helped prevent blisters.

With new shoes in hand, I decided I better go put the CCTV system back in service then pay for my goods. Now every time I go to check out at a CVS store they always ask me for my CVS ExtraCare card. I have one but I never carry it with me. It's one of those cards whereas you earn discounts on future purchases with your current purchases. I simply tell them I don't have a card and most of the time they end up swiping one for me anyway. Here is my actual receipt for this pair of shoes.

Now for the really cool part. As they were so kind to swipe some other ExtraCare card for me, look what printed off on the bottom of my receipt. Thats Right!!! - A free gallon of milk baby! And you know what that means - a gallon of chocolate milk to mix with my whey for another weeks worth of recovery drinks! Life doesn't get much better than that. During the next 3 weeks or so, I managed to put several long trail runs in with these shoes. These shoes have worked out very well for running on trails with really poor surfaces such as sharp stones and numerous roots that are just unavoidable - offering just enough protection to your feet without taking away the feeling of running in minimal shoes. For my upcoming trail race, they would fit the bill perfectly.

Here is a couple pics of my shoes (aqua-socks) taken just after a very difficult 13 mile trail run. Another interesting note here is that the socks (Keen wool socks) cost $16 bucks. Twice as much as the shoes.

Here is a pic of the blogger (yeah that's me) sporting my shoes and socks having just come off the trail. It was probably everything I could do to muster a smile for the camera as I was toasted from the training run. It's super hilly and a very tough trail to ran - also happens to be where my upcoming race is. You can check out the details here (Indian-Celina Challenge).

Now back to the features and benefits of these shoes, remember - Notice that these shoes are a "Super Value". They also "fit right", "feel great" and are "skid resistant". I already mentioned that they fit right, they do feel great and they actually are very skid resistant. As far as the "Super Value" claim is concerned. In my humble opinion I think they are. Here is another pic of these same shoes with about 50 miles later.

As you can see I managed to hit some rocks or some other impediment with my toes a few times and the shoe on the right is starting to show signs of the sole separating from the upper. It's actually still attached very well but I wanted to at least make note of this. Now keep in mind that I wear these shoes extremely tight to the point where my toes are bulging out of the front of the shoe so I'm sure that is the primary reason for the separation. Add in the fact that the trail I have been running on with these shoes is truly a very rough trail.

Take a look at the soles and you'll see they are holding up just fine. The soles are made of some kind of dense foam that has been covered with some type of skin that wears thru very quickly. I thought about making a phone call to the manufacturer in China to find out exactly what the material is but I'm still waiting on my Rosetta Stone Cd's to show up. For those interested, I indicated where I land when running in minimal shoes. The wear on the soles makes it pretty evident. I am pretty bowed legged and as a previous heel striker I suplinated a lot. This seemed to carry over to my minimal running as I tend to land on the outside of the ball of my feet as seen above. You may also notice a little wear on the heel on the right (left shoe). That was the result of me hobbling in off the trail one day after pulling a tendon in my foot thanks to a bad decision on foot placement on the run. (No worries though - it's all better now). All in all, I really like these shoes for running. They don't require any "break-in" period and they are very comfortable. If you have ever thought about trying out some minimal shoes these would be a good place to start. They are forgiving enough to protect your feet yet thin enough to truly experience a minimal shoe. Just head over to your closest CVS and tell them Midwest Jeff sent ya. Just don't tell them I took the CCTV system out of service. Also be sure and tell them you don't have an ExtraCare Card. You never know what may print out on the bottom of your receipt - perhaps a free pair of panty-hose - and you know what that means! - complimentary compression socks!