Recipe - Healthy Dark Chocolate Maple Almond Fudge

Dark Chocolate Maple Almond Fudge

§                     6oz      Dark Chocolate

§                     1c        Raw Almond Butter

§                     2tbsp   Organic Pure Maple Syrup

§                     2tbsp   Organic Coconut Oil

§                     1 tbsp Vanilla

In a microwave safe bowl combine the almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla.  Microwave till soft and easily stirred.  Place the dark chocolate in a separate bowl and warm to melt, stir frequently to avoid burning the chocolate.   Add the chocolate to the first bowl and thoroughly mix.  Spread the mixture into a parchment paper lined dish and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours to set.  Remove the fudge and bring back to room temperature to cut and serve.

Nutritional Information

36 Pieces

Calories           100

Fat                   6g

Sat Fat             2g

Carbs               5g

Fiber                1g

Sugar               4g

Sodium            4mg

Protein             1.5g

Kid tested and approved, enjoy this healthy alternative to normal store bought fudge that takes only minutes to make! As a side note if you wish to cut smaller pieces the caloric as well as the nutrient content will shrink accordingly!

September 2012 Training Recap

SEPTEMBER Training Recap

The first thing you will notice about the month is the severe drop in running millage coupled with an in crease in bike and swim volume.  I competed in The North Face Endurance Challenge (Madison) 50K in September and this was the last race of my ultra season.  I had run on the course several times during the month of August so I knew what to expect.  Unexpected, however, was my inability to walk with out crushing pain in my right knee 7 days prior to the race.  After several chriporactic appointments, ART sessions, a lot of time on the roller, and very little in the way of movement, I managed to show up for the race with the ability to walk and hopefully run pain free.  I raced conservatively and still managed to finish in the top 15 (12), with a 50k PR.  After the race I called it a season. Stay tuned for a post related to my diet, VESPA,  and some of the things I changed to include more fat and eliminate carbs, to increase my fat burning efficiency, to enhance race day performance and recovery!

TOTALS

Run     47.1 miles        7:31:19

Swim   10.8 miles

Bike     154  miles

Race Result

50K (31miles) 4:35:51

12^th Male 13^th Overall

9^th AG (26-35)

Dean Karnazes and I

Breaking knees and PR's - 2012 North Face Endurance Challenge 50K Race Report

The 2012 North Face Endurance Challenge (Madison) 50K Race Report

Ouch!!.... Followed closely by OH NO!!!!...  These were the first two phrases that popped into my head when, 9 days before The North Face Trail 50K, I attempted to walk across a grocery store parking lot only to be stopped short by an excruciating pain encompassing my entire right knee.  Now I have battled on and off with a tight IT band but this was not even close.  While IT issues are more localized to certain areas of the knee, the pain that I currently felt was like something had exploded inside my knee cap.  I decided right there, ha my knee decided, that I would not run another step till race day.  So it was time to reacquaint myself with interval session on the bike and ladder sprints in the pool.  I usually swim, bike, and lift weights while running, but for the next 10 days these would become my focus.  I also made an appointment with my Chiropractor Dr Charles “Buck” Blodgett.  It took him 5 whole seconds to deduce that my tibia and femur were no longer aligned and my knee was rotated, YIKES!  Well he adjusted me and I swam and biked away my frustration.

Sunrise mist (Photo from TNFEC)

Race day started out like always; up early, eating while getting ready so your body doesn’t realize you are filling it with food at 3:30am, and driving to the race.  The morning air was a bit chilly, so I chose to wear arm warmers.  The great thing about arm warmers is that once the day heats up you can roll them down and they are great for wiping sweat out of your eyes. Well the call to get ready came, everyone left the comfort of the heaters, lined up, and off we went.  Due to the knee issues I decided I would hang just off the front and take it easy through the first 10 miles.  The first 10 miles run through the Scuppernong Ski trails and a northern section of the horse trails, and are hilly.  While not long hills they are steep and relentless.  They were also made all the more beautiful by the fog which had settled due to the cool temps.  My plan was to make it through this section in the top 20 then see how my knee was holding and begin to pick up the pace.  I ran this first section with several guys from my trail running group, The Lapham Peak Trail Runners.  We were running a comfortable pace and the conversation was flowing just as easily.

The next 10 mile or so section is on the Ice Age Trail, which has some small hills, but is mostly fast and non-technical.  I decided here, since my knee was holding, that I needed to pick it up.  I settled into a pretty fast pace and began to reel in both people and the trail.  Throughout the race I was blown away by the number of aid station staff and road guards from the LPTR group, it was a huge boost to see so many friendly faces while pushing hard.  I road this wave of energy to the final turn onto the horse trail.

The horse trail is soft sand which you can not avoid, even if you run off trail.  Soft sand is not something you want to face at the end of a race.  But I decided to turn on the tunes and maintain the best running pace I could.  I was still moving pretty quickly up the hills, just not as fast over the sandy flats.  I managed to reel in several more people.  I started to cramp a little in the final 2 miles.  Up the last big climb I went and then I let gravity do its thing on the other side.  I made it to the final .8 mile section of road before being seized by full cramps.  I managed to run through the finish and hold off a hard charging Adam.

I was extremely happy with my results at this race.  I managed to run a 4:35 (results) for 12^th (13^th overall, yes I got chicked), set a PR, and had zero knee issues the entire race.  Sometimes I guess you just need to go for a really long run.  My nutrition was spot on and powered by VESPA, stay tuned I plan on detailing what I eat before a race and how I fuel in a future post.  The course is very beautiful, the volunteers are spectacular, and the event itself is well put together.  If you are looking for a fun and somewhat faster course then I would highly recommend this race.  At the end of the race I had the pleasure of hanging out with the winner of the 50 Mile, and new course record holder, Ian Sharman as well as the third place finisher Eric Senseman.  Both Ian and Eric ran amazing races and were great people to end the day with.  I also got a consolation picture with Dean Karnazes for getting “chicked”.

Dean Karnazes and I

50 Mile Podium
L-R Eric Senseman, Mike Bialick, Ian Sharman



My Cheerleaders

Race Result

50K (31miles) 4:35:51

12^th Male 13^th Overall

9^th AG (26-35)

Gear Used
Shoes - Hoka One One Stinson Evo B (www.iRunFar.com)
Socks - Drymax Trailrunning (Performance Running Outfitters)
Calf Sleeves - CEP (Performance Running Outfitters)
Shorts - Salomon Exo S-Lab II (www.iRunFar.com)
Jersey - Sugoi Team Jersey (Performance Running Outfitters)
Hat - Headsweat (www.iRunFar.com)
Bottle - Ultimate Direction Access (Performance Running Outfitters)
Arm Warmers - The North Face (Performance Running Outfitters)
VESPA - www.vespapower.com
Gels

AUGUST 2012 Training Recap

AUGUST Training Recap

This month I focused on building speed into my training as well as consistently running back to back long runs, for the upcoming North Face 50K in Sep.  I began the month by shifting my first two runs of the week to be a sub race pace tempo run and an interval workout.  I was running my tempo runs near a 7:00 pace, and the 800 intervals were being run near a 2:40 pace.  These runs were completed Monday and Wednesday.  On Tuesday I was swimming an interval set in the AM and biking hills in the pm.  On Thursday I would do a tempo swim for 1.5 miles.  Then on Friday I was doing a 3 hour long run a little above 50K pace, and then on Saturday AM I would run for 1-2 hours easy.  This training schedule seemed to allow me to get in quality work and some distance as well. 

At the end of the month one of the members of my trail running group, Lapham Peak Trail Runners, celebrated his 50^th birthday by running a 50K fat ass, at Lapham Peak State park.  He consistently podiums in ultras so, as a test, I decided to run with him.  I was planning on running 3 of the 5 loops about 17.5 miles.  I did this, but near the end of the run my right knee really started to hurt.  The pain did not go away with ice or rest in the following few days, so I made an appointment for some chiropractic and ART (Active release Therapy) work.  The ART was good, but as usual the chiropractor worked his magic and within a few days the pain was receding. 

During my long runs I was really able to dial in my use of VESPA and race nutrition, to the point where I would take 1 VESPA JR 45 min before the run and another at the 2 hour mark, and only take 1 or 2 gels for the entire run.  I feel as ready for this 50K as I can with the fact that I could not descend stairs a few days before.  Stay tuned for a post related to my diet, VESPA, and some of the things I changed to include more fat and eliminate carbs, to increase my fat burning efficiency, to enhance race day performance and recovery!  Also for the race report from The North Face Endurance Challenge 50K.

TOTALS

Run     182.9 miles      27:14:01 hours

Swim   11 miles

Bike     77 miles

2012 Dances With Dirt Trail 1/2 Marathon Race Report

This was a race I had been looking forward to for the last 12 months.  I ran the ½ marathon last year as a fun run coming back from two injuries.  With a time of 2:30ish last year I knew had a serious ax to grind with this race.  The Dances with Dirt Devils Lake course is described as being tough with some crazy stupid sections thrown in.  It resembles a Q with a 3 mile single track, followed by a 7 mile loop, and finishing with the same 3 miles.  What makes the course so awesome is that the first 3 miles are all climbing.  Odd for Wisconsin you say, well not when you consider the western half of WI is filled with bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River or other large lakes, such as Devil’s Lake.  Once you complete the first 3 miles of climbing you enter the looped 7 miles of the course, there is a little more climbing in the first mile, then some actual scrambling up the side of a bluff, to get to the top for the amazing views.  This is followed by a gradual descent back to the original 3 miles.  This final 3 miles is now a screaming fast plunge filled with rocks and roots, buckle up because it’s a fun ride down.

I rode to this race with another Zach, this time Zach Otto, not Zach Bitter.  We got there a bit early to meet his brother in law Mark, who had flown in from Oregon to check out what Wisconsinites call crazy trails.  While he was regaling us with stories of running with Hal Koerner and Jenn Shelton (she chicked him in his last marathon), I saw my friend Dave.  Now Dave was supposed to be running the 50K, but he had separated his shoulder 4 days before, so following his doctor’s advice that he rest and not run the 50K he was running the ½, sounds acceptable to me.  I decided I was going to try and perfect racing with VESPA during this race.  After eating a breakfast of moderate protein, high fat, and a little carbs (fruit), I drank nothing but water for 3 hours prior to the start of the race.  45 minutes before the gun I took a VESPA JR and 1 S Cap.  I stuck a gel in my shorts and 1 in my handheld as backup. 

Pretty soon it was go time, we lined up, and I took a spot a little off the front. Mark however took a spot right on the line guess that’s what running with Jenn will do for your confidence.  Off I went with the front 30-40 people, there were over 300 in the race, so I could get onto the single track climb with out a ton of walkers in front of me.  Well that was the plan, but that pace at which the group was running was way faster than this ultra runner is used to 1 mile into a race.  But we hit the single track and I started to climb.  Still going at a ridiculous pace, because I was leading my little train, I actually began to pass people a little over 1 mile into the climb.  This went on for the rest of the way to the loop.  Once we hit the loop I fell in behind two College CC runners and realized, to their horror as well as mine, the loop was reversed this year so instead of a 2 mile climb and 5 mile gradual decent we would be climbing for the next 5 miles.  Holy cow time to pack a lunch this just got fun!  Well I pushed through the climb, managing to only body surf the trail once.  Once we hit the bluff and its grand vista, I slowed my pace so I could enjoy the view without falling off the edge.  To my surprise there was the individual I thought was leading the race performing yoga poses out on a rock, guess the view was too much for him!  On with racing, a quick scramble on all fours down the bluff and I was back at the 3 mile monster decent.  Yee haw time to let my HOKA’s fly, and fly they did.  I managed to pass no less than 8 people in the first mile.  I came screaming down the hill to the finish with a sub 2 hour time.  Shortly after crossing the finish line I was told I placed in my age group, guess getting older has its benefits.  For my award I got a sweet mini, indestructible, flashlight, and as much craft beer from the tappers as I could drink.  I settled in and eagerly awaited the finish of all of my friends and fellow Lapham Peak Trail Runners who were attempting all of the distances. 

My testing of VESPA was awesome I took only 1 VESPA, water, 1 S cap and 2 gels over the 1:50 it took me to finish.  My energy never waivered, even though I was way above threshold for most of the race.  My energy levels combined with my HOKA’s ability to absorb the punishing descents allowed me to fly past my competition in the final miles. The RD’s promised that the course would be tougher and it was.  I would highly recommend this race series to anyone!  The course is tough, they have multiple distance options, the views are awe inspiring, competition fierce, you can camp at the start finish, and the after party is conducted in true UTLRA fashion.



Tom Schiessl, Me, and Melinda Pedersen at the finish, up next where's the beer!

 Thanks as always to my sponsors Performance Running Outfitters and VESPA you make exceeding racing potential a pure joy!

Gear Used
Shirt - Sugoi PRO Race Team Jersey - Performance Running Ooutfitters PRO
Shorts - The North Face Better than Naked Split - PRO
Shoes - Hoka One One Stinson Evo B Trail - iRunFar.com
Calf Sleeves - CEP - PRO
Handheld Nathan bottle - PRO
VESPA - VESPA
Suceed Caps - PRO
Gels - PRO

July 2012 - Training Recap

JULY Training Recap

This month I had a trail ½ marathon race to compete in.  I had run the Dances with Dirt at Devils Lake in 2011, as a training run and I had an idea to actually race it this year.  Well the recovery running carried over from June into July so in an attempt to get ready for racing, I spent my runs power hiking the tower hill trail at Lapham Peak and running down as fast as possible.  During the race I could tell how my lack of fast run training had affected my performance, I was able to only really run 50% of the up hills while I power hiked the other 50%.  This was a real problem as they reversed the course direction this year, so the amount of climbing doubled.  Luckily with the downhill practice I had I was able to smash the downs and catch a lot of individuals who passed me on the ups.  This was the second race I have worn my Hoka Stinson Evo B’s and they performed brilliantly.  It was also the third race I used VESPA to enhance my ability to utilize fat as a fuel and again I set a PR and grabbed a podium spot in my age group.  Stay tuned for a post related to my diet, VESPA,  and some of the things I changed to include more fat and eliminate carbs, to increase my fat burning efficiency, to enhance race day performance and recovery!



DWD 2012 Finish
(L-R Tom Schiessl, Nick Wied, Melinda Pedersen)



TOTALS

Run     133.3   19:25:42

Swim   7.4

Bike     63.3

Race Results

Dances With Dirt-Devils Lake Trail ½ Marathon

1:55:04  34/495 Overall 4/41 Age Group (30-34)

June 2012 Training Recap

JUNE Training Recap

This was a different month; it was time for recovery from my A race, the Ice Age Trail 50 mile, in May.  I shortened this recovery by jumping into the Kettle 100 Mile Trail Endurance Run by pacing Logan Polfuss in his attempt at completing the run.  Initially I had considered entering the night fun run (38 miles), which is part of the Kettle course; physically I was fine I did not however feel mentally recovered from Ice Age so I was not really mentally ready for racing an ultra distance.  Anyone who participates in endurance sports knows that the mental aspect of racing is just as important as the physical.  If you compare my May training run totals to June you will see that even though I ran less volume (miles) I spent more time on my feet, the reason for this was that instead of running I took two weeks and went hiking just spending time on the trails reconnecting with nature.  I also spent more time biking.  I am a big believer in rest both physically and mentally and will write abut this in the future!  Also Stay tuned for a post related to my diet and some of the things I changed to include more fat and eliminate carbs, to increase my fat burning efficiency!

TOTALS

Run     126.7   23:45:02

Swim   6.1

Bike     126

Race Results

Kettle 100 Mile Trail Endurance Run

(Paced) Logan Polfuss – 26:46:05 (54/118)