Things Ultrarunners Know: Animals

(Meadow vole image credit Wikipedia)

(Deer mouse image credit Wikipedia)

The other day, while running, I passed a road kill on a local road near my home. What made it a bit unusual was that it was a small critter, either a mouse or a vole.

One would think that a road-killed animal of such small size would have been completely smashed, but this one was not crushed; it was only slightly bloody about the head. But very dead.

That struck me as strange, meaning that the mouse-like animal would have been struck--but not run over--by a vehicle tire, as though it ran into the side of the tire. Now, I’m sure that it can happen that way, but my mind immediately thought “hawk” and I looked up to see whether I was under a tree or telephone pole where a raptor may have just dropped its partially eaten prey.

Nope, turns out I wasn't under any such perch, so the dead mouse or vole was in all likelihood just a road kill. But when you hear hoof beats, you think horses, not zebras. A hawk being involved seemed more likely than road kill, but I was wrong.

Why even bother with this pretty mundane story? Because it points to another example of what we ultrarunners know and “regular” people don’t. You see, we know local fauna in a way that most people don’t—we see dead animals up close on the roads. And we see live ones out on the trails and the roads. Without having taken a single zoology course, we ultrarunners have a pretty good idea of who in the animal kingdom lives nearby.

We know, for instance, whether the local cat population includes cougars, bobcats, lynxes, or none of the above. Or the difference between a skunk, an opossum, a raccoon, a beaver, and a woodchuck. How to distinguish between a red and a grey fox. Whether the deer is a whitetail of a mule deer. That the local large hawk is in all likelihood a red-tail, or how to ID one of the smaller raptors. And whether any bears (grizzly or black) live locally.

You get the idea. I plan to expand this theme of Things Ultrarunners Know into a series of posts on other disciplines such as meteorology, astronomy, geology, and hydrology, as a minimum. I previously did a post last May on this theme, about rain and getting wet.

We are a pretty smart bunch. Or at least observant.

Ultra Distances

If you think running 100 miles is far and takes awhile, think about this little story from the blog Bad Astronomy:

Since last July, the Earth has been falling ever closer to the Sun. Every moment since then, our planet has edged closer to the nearest star in the Universe, approaching it at over 1100 kilometers per hour, 27,500 km/day, 800,000 km every month.

But don’t panic! We do this every year. And that part of it ends today anyway.

The Earth’s orbit around the Sun is not a perfect circle. It’s actually an ellipse, so sometimes we’re closer to the Sun, and sometimes farther away. Various factors change the exact date and time every year — you can get the numbers at the Naval Observatory site — but aphelion (when we’re farthest from the Sun) happens in July, and perihelion (when we’re closest) in January.

And we’re at perihelion now! Today, January 3, 2011, around 19:00 GMT (2:00 p.m. Eastern US time), the Earth reaches perihelion. At that time, we’ll be about 147,099,587 kilometers (91,245,873 miles) from the Sun.

That's a lot of numbers and geekiness.  So just how far is that 91+ million miles that are we away from the sun?

To give you an idea of how far that is, a jet traveling at a cruising speed of 800 km/hr would take over 20 years to reach the Sun.

That, my friends, would be the flight from hell.

In Memoriam

This week, the United States of America lost “only” 3 service members in Afghanistan. Of course, if you were one of the 3, your family will be forever shattered.

Via Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars, the list:

US Marines LCpl Kenneth A Corzine, 23, Bethalto, IL

US Marines Sgt Garrett A Misener, 25, Condova, TN

US Marines Cpl Tevan L Nguyen, 21, Hutto, TX

And no end in sight....

Boxed Wines...and Ultrarunning

Over at The Daily Dish, I see where another wine lover has seen the brilliant light that is Franzia’s line of boxed wines.

Yes, boxed wines. Of all places, on a blog that purportedly is about “the softer side of ultrarunning.” Well, maybe that topic qualifies, although I think that beer drinkers may outnumber the wine drinkers among ultrarunners.

The author at the link loves the Franzia Cabernet (but NOT the Franzia Merlot or Chianti...can't say, I have not tried those). I personally prefer this one, the White Zinfandel:

(photo credit: Gary)

I am not a wine expert, but know enough. The bride and I have enjoyed touring many of the wineries in our mid-Atlantic area and even managed a wonderful trip to the Napa wine country in conjunction with a San Francisco trip. So I don’t feel I am taking a risk in recommending this White Zinfandel to you. Your mileage may vary, but you oughta give it a try.

The price in PA for the 5 liter box--when it’s not on sale--is about $18 with tax, which works out to $3.60 per bottle. Plus it is a much greener way to purchase wine (as though you need another reason!).

Try this: after a run you need to rehydrate, and alcohol is a diuretic and worsens the dehydration. So, after you’ve consumed about enough water to replace the sweat, try mixing some wine (why not this White Zin?) with some club soda, either flavored or unflavored, and ice. Sip. Repeat as necessary.

Very refreshing!

Umstead Pace Chart

I ran Umstead in 2010.  Ran it pretty well, actually, in 22:35.  Here's a tip that may help you.

Based upon race director Blake Norwood's wonderful guide for first-timers at Umstead (see link "How to Train For and Run Your First 100 at the Umstead 100" on the race homepage, here), I planned for a finish of 28 hours (so I overachieved a little bit!).

I made the following pace chart up in small card format, laminated it, and carried it with me to consult during the race to try to stay on pace.

I never used it.  I just ran the first lap and it felt good, as did the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc., so I figured, why mess with success?  So it remained in my pocket until I cleaned out my gear after the race. 

But YOU might need it.  So hit the PRINT button, laminate it, and carry it along.  You may never even think about it...or, you may find it absolutely indispensable to your personal race management.  The point is, use ALL the resources at your command to maximize your chances for success. 

So--print it and carry it (or Blake's similar lap plan for a 23:30 finish)--it may make all the difference for you.

 

Where I Run: A Celebratory Pig Farm Run

On Friday I took my last run of the year, needing 10 miles to reach 100 for the month and 1200 for the year. Usually in the winter I run to the west to have the wind in my face at the start and thus be able to finish with the wind at my back.

On Friday, however, the ever-present wind was absent so I could do the run that I really wanted to do—to the east—the Pig Farm 10 miler.

This run has been integral to my running life for 30 years. I wanted to “dance with the one that brung ya,” so to speak, and pay homage to a great route that has sustained me thru thick and thin and hundreds of runs.

Of course, the obligatory disclaimer is that I'd much rather be running trails.  But getting there adds time and complexity, while the Pig Farm route is right out my door.

Photos of the highlights of the run, complete with links to previous posts:

Of course, the local place names.

The beautiful stone wall, that puts my dry stone wall efforts to shame.

The “big rock” where a dead Rebel was buried on the retreat from Gettysburg in 1863.

The unnamed and unsigned church--so I don't know the denomination-- where the men line up to enter thru one of the front doors and the women do the same at the other front door.  There are no horses and buggies here but ALL the cars are black and unadorned.  I get water here halfway thru the run at an outside frost-free spigot.

No photo, but the field where water runs uphill, I swear.

The run has been good to me and I am thankful to celebrate it!

Cats in Art: Cat

My continuing Sunday series on Cats in Art, with another Bonnard image.

Image and text credit here.  [1903, Pierre Bonnard, Cat, brush and ink]

In 1903, French artist Pierre Bonnard created a series of illustrations for Jules Renard's Histoires naturelles. This wry little cat is from that series.

My cats are all "wry little cats."  Well, maybe just the wry part--they mostly are fat.

 

Ultrarunning…and Nature (part 2 of 2)

(image credit National Wildlife Federation)

See yesterday’s post for part 1. I contribute to the National Wildlife Federation, so they send me a calendar each year full of wonderful wildlife photos and short nature-related quotes each month.

The quotes are great, so I’ll blog them across 2 posts, yesterday and today. Some quotes or authors may be familiar; others brand new. In any case, enjoy, and I hope that these thoughts will cause all of us to be thankful at the marvelous gift of nature that is ours through the endeavor of backcountry running:

We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts. -- William Hazlitt

The who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. -- Rachel Carson

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. -- Albert Einstein

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a songbird will come. -- Chinese proverb

Let nature be your teacher. -- William Wordsworth

An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language. -- Martin Buber

Keep your send of proportion by regularly, preferably daily, visiting the natural world. -- Catlin Matthews