MMTR 2012

The snow year! Felt great coming into this race. I had trained hard. I had run the course hard. Felt that a 7 hr finish time was a possibility. The last 2 years I had run grindstone 4 weeks prior to the race and by buck mountain felt those miles. Not this year. No grindstone in my legs. Uroc giving me some speed and some experience. I thought this might be the year. I WAS WRONG! My mental goal was to stay positive. I accomplished that. Went out fast but not feeling overly fast. Running good and consistent. Got a little freaked when my bro who was crewing me did not show up to parkway station but went on and like I always tell everyone who runs ultras. "Expect for things to go wrong". No sweat. Just ate from aid stations. Worse thing was snagging a GU from aid station and it was a cap pachinko flavor. Disgusting but o'well. Ran with Brian Schmitt till reservoir and saw my bro. Changed out pack for bottles and got some cliff shots. Ran mostly with some fast hiking and close to where it flattens out I get passed by Brian Rusecki who would later win the whole stinking thing. He passed me like I was standing still. The only words from his mouth were " you guys started out fast huh". Apparently he had his game plan and killed it from that point. I came into every aid station right on my mark. Long mountain wayside by 3:29 and then climbed to buck mountain in 35 min. Flats feeling great and downhills even better. Passed another runner who would later drop near wiggins aid station. I remembered that Jared Hesse and I had run an aid station for grindstone and I honestly never realized the effort and time it took to run an aid station so this race I had a great appreciation for all aid station workers and gave high fives to most and said thanks to each one. I went into loop 12 min behind leaders and honestly felt like I was going to make my move now! WRONG AGAIN! The snow came. I didn't believe all the reports of snow but they were true. I have a very low gait and my feet do not come off the ground very much so I kept feeling like I was dragging my feet and could not get into any rhythm. Gary Robbins passed me coming down from out and back in loop and looked like a gazelle and I was running like a buffalo. Needless to say I knew I was in 4 th place now and the people behind me were closer than I thought. I hiked a whole bunch in the loop and swore that everyone was going to catch me. I got a little frustrated but then looked around and laughed out loud cause this will probably never happen again at mmtr and it was cool to be a part of running this. Done with loop finally and saw my wife and bro. Got 2 bottles cause I knew it was going to take longer than I thought. So I ran every step of that next section cause I knew there was a lot of hiking in store. Reached the old AT section and like I said before I could not run! So I hiked. I kept looking back thinking I was going so slow that someone is bound to catch me. But alas no one did. I kept trying to run in the post holes of the people in front of me but they wait her had really small feet or I have huge feet cause I kept missing their holes. I kept dragging my feet. Finally the last aid station. Saw Matt Day and asked him how much behind I was from 3rd. He told me I was 3rd. I said ohh no someone got lost. So I ran the last section hard and fast. All downhill baby!! The HOKAS felt great here and even better on the road. I came in at 8:07. Good enough for 3rd overall. My beautiful family were all there and friends. As always we waited there for all my friends to come in. This race was especially special cause it was my birthday this day. I turned 36 and remember the first time I ran this race in 2009. My good friends brought me cake and Sang to me. I only benched 28 reps for the ironman comp but I was ok with that. I think the snow and HOKAS made me feel incredible. Almost no soreness and of course the ice baths help! As always thanks to my crew, my wife and kiddos, friends and Clark Zealand and DHO for putting this thing on. As always anything good in life should point us to the creator of that good! Jesus who created us with these passions and desires for acceptance, love, exhilaration, etc can only ultimately be fulfilled in HIM!. I love that. Don't get stuck on a small fix when he promises to fulfill us! Hellgate next. 2nd last year. What's in store this year? Hopefully something really special!!!

Humbled and challenged at UROC 2012

Humbled and challenged are the 2 words that describe this race for me. I came into this race feeling strong. My goal time was to run a 9hr- 9:25 and I would get into top 5 and get some cash!! I felt like a kid at the pre race elite panel. A who's who amongst ultra runners was there. For some reason I still wasn't intimidated. Wake up and christy, Abby and I drive up to wintergreen. Still not to nervous. So we are off and I tell myself to stay in the top 10 and hold on. But everyone wanted to be in the top 10. We were running super fast down hill. I thought these super fast marathoners were not suppose to run these technical downhills this fast I told myself. I held on! Needless to say by the time we got out of wintergreen drive my quads were already busted and we had more than 40 to go. Not good! All day I was chasing shingi a runner from Japan that was a 100k rd world champ. I just kept running! Saw my wife and Abby a couple times at some aid stations. Then at about mile 32 I saw them and went into a single track 8 mile out and ask section. Made the mistake of only taking one bottle and ran out of water 3 miles in. I kept eating but was very thirsty. As the front runners past me I saw Max King, Sage, David riddle, Jorge m, David Mackey, nick Clark, and other killer runners. Ten the thought occurred to me that I was expecting these guys to die? These guys don't die do they? Every single one of them are winning races somewhere in the nation any given weekend! So I went into a negative spiral. Maybe the thirst, the fact that I knew that the likelihood of coming in top 5 was against me and that I saw Ellie greenwood only a couple of minutes behind me along with some other great runners. I came out the out and back the same place but mentally I was shot! I finally got water. My wife reminded me that Ellie was right behind. To be honest I didn't really care. I have never wanted to quit a race more than now. The negative thought kept following me for the next 10 miles. Then Ellie passed me. I thought ok now is a good move. Stay with her and let her pull you in! Wrong! I could not stay with her for the life of me. I tried! But she just kept getting further and further away. I did not walk a step but still kept losing her. The negative feelings subsided when I finally saw my family, my friends that drove from Lynchburg to cheer me on. I smiled and thanked them so much! I felt ok again. Ok to finish. Ok to fight through such negative feelings. The road didn't treat me well and the last hill back up wintergreen was almost unbearable. I finished 11th over all and 10th male. Finished in 9:23. I was humbled by how fast the guys and girl in front of me ran. I have to admit that I was disappointed that I could not dig deeper than I did. Yet 10th male in this field was a good feeling. My wife told me it was not my best race and that she felt like the other runners had a pocket they dug into that I have I just didn't dig deep down into. I probably would have to agree. So I will train harder, smarter, differently so when the time comes to dig deeper I can find that pocket!!! As always thanks to my sponsor theaidstation.com for all my trail running Supplies.

Old story from the past

Holiday Lake : the beginning of the end! My name is Frank Gonzalez and yes I think I am addicted to Ultras!!! My history: It all started last February when my 235 pound Mexican body read an article about someone in runner’s world attempting to run a 100 mile race. He describes the mental anguish and suffering he went though just to get to mile 80 something and not be able to finish. The thought crossed my mind, what it would take to get to that level. So I started running. The last Time I ran any distance was when I was 19 years old and did the Adirondack marathon. I finished in 3:56 and basically crushed every bone in my left foot. Whatever, I was young. I began to tell some people about what I wanted to do and they pointed me to some people that ran these things. Tommy field and Richard Michael were the first ultra runners I went out with. We ran 18 mile in February of 09. It was tough, cold, and yet something about me liked it.(along the way I suckered my best friends to run with me and now My best buddy Todd foster is doing the whole Beast series with me..SUCKER!!!!) Fast forward to Promise land 09 and I had lost close to 20 pounds and ran it in 6:36. Not bad for fat boy. Next was the MMTR and lost another 15 pounds and ran it in 9:21. Then benched 135 pounds 37 times to win a sweet gladiator sword. Best prize yet!! Finally I begged Horty to let me run Hellgate. Yes I begged him. He let me in the Wednesday before the race and yes I finished it in 14:50. So whats the next step? THE BEAST! I have really been putting in a lot of running and just trying to drop weight. Now to the Holiday Lake: I weighed in at a whopping 183pounds before the race and felt as good as ever. (Yes I have lost over 50 pounds) In all 3 ultras prior to this I went out way to fast and hurt the second half so My game plan was to go out 30th and stay there till half way point and then run as fast as I could back. My Crew was in place (consisted of my wife and surprisingly Jeremy Ramsey drove around with my wife all day) which I was glad for because I saw them a lot more times than I thought. The first half really wasn’t very exciting. I ran at a medium pace, fought off the temptation to pass people and just stayed right where I wanted to be. I got to the turnaround at 2:50 and in about 25-30th place. Felt great. So I picked it up on the second half. Was amazed at how good I felt and that I was actually passing people. My wife and Jeremy kept yelling what place I was in every time I saw them. Went from 25 and then next were 19, then next was 17, and next was 13. Horty seeded me at 13 and would have been happy getting 13 except for I kept feeling good. Last aid station came quickly and I was still 13 overall. Up to this point I had eaten 15 Gu’s(raspberry pomegranate: the best gu’s I have eaten EVER! Thanks Bikes Unlimited for those!) Feeling good. I managed to pass 1 more guys and then I saw the top girl. She looked as strong as ever and finally caught her. Coming out from the lake with 2 miles left Jeremy says “you have 1 more guy to beat to be in top 10,he’s one minute in front, anything you have left give it now!!” So I did! I passed Justine who stayed on my heels the whole time and we caught number 10 quickly and passed him. I started to cramp just a little now, but I knew I was close. I came out and hit the pavement with Justine on my heels. Sprinted in and ended up getting 10th overall and finished in 5:15. My second lap split was 2:25. I had set one goal for this year and that was to get a top 10 in 1 race. It came early so now the pressures off. But top five sounds good to. Thanks Christy for being the best crew ever, Thanks Jeremy for helping her, thanks Horty for putting on the race, running with me, and being an inspiration. All of you who were there…. WAY TO GO! See all of you at Terrapin!!

Promise Land 2010

Promise land # 2

by Frank Gonzalez

(this is from a story I wrote about this race about 2 years ago)

This race by far is the race of the season for me. It is special to me because last year it was my first ultra I have ever done, all of my family and friends came and camped, and I felt incredible coming into this one.

I really started to train for this one back in January. I started to run every Saturday with a crazy Man Named “The Runner”. We ran in freezing temperatures and lots of snow for many of those runs and all “the runner” would say is that this training is good for you. So I followed him for miles and hours every Saturday. In March I even followed him to do 4 days on the AT averaging about 30-34 miles per day. I only got 108 miles out of the 168 we were supposed to do. He called me names but I just couldn’t do all the miles. Also the Terrapin race was the next week. He kept telling me this was not going to help me for Terrapin, but it would help me for Promise land, and it did.

I have not gone into a race feeling so good from all the races I’ve done. Body felt good, mind felt good, I was definitely nervous because I knew in order for me to run in the top 10 I was going to have to run hard from the get go. My goal was to run out with the top 10-15 for the whole race and then do my normal kick at the end. Well the top 10-15 started off way too fast for me. I was 23^rd going into AS#2. From that point I told myself I better step up my game a little. So I started to run faster up all the hills and especially down the hills. I still felt good, but started to feel an unusual burn under my armpits…yes I was chafing. Note to self …do not wear a tank top without body glide. I made it to AS4 and I was now 13. That last section was a great one for me. I asked for some glide or Vaseline at the station, but no one had any, so the shirt came off (and so did the duct tape on the nipples, because that would look just dumb). Felt a little low point after that, but took some food down and kept a good pace. I passed 2 more people before AS5 and now was 11. For the next 5-6 miles did not see anyone. Hard to know how fast you’re running when you’re alone. I kept telling myself that everyone in front of me must be running faster so I should speed up. Finally saw 2 people coming back into AS 6 and they were a couple of minutes in front of me and finally got some Vaseline, 2 salt pills, Aleve, and refilled bottle. I had taken a gel 5 minutes before the Aid station and 5 minutes after. I knew I would be running low when the steep part came. Running low was an understatement. I felt as if I was power hiking the steep parts, but to my surprise here came the first place lady and another guy. So at the falls I took another gel and then hit the steps. My quads were cramping and I got nervous. I knew this is where the race is won or lost. The first place lady passed me as if I was standing still, and I knew this was the moment in the race that I had dreaded. I could either let her pass and then the other guy would pass also and then just hang on, or allow her momentum to pull me up the hill by following her every step…..so I pulled myself together and started to follow her every step. When she ran, I ran. When she power walked, I did. I never once looked up until we got to the top. She carried me past 2 guys and when we reached the top I was 10 overall and 9^th male.

From that point on I knew it was all downhill and no matter how I felt I would run hard. I ended up passing one more guy and coming in 8^th overall. WHAT a feeling!!!! I had shaved off 1 hr and 10 minutes and 40 pounds off last year’s race. I could not believe how great I felt after and even today. I think I love sitting around eating, talking and watching the other runners come through as much if not more as running the race itself. Its exhilarating watching people succeed and make dreams come true. This year I was joined by friends and their families that have made this year even better than the last. Unfortunately this is only the beginning. The beast is calling our names and now it’s time to get ready for 100 miles. I really cannot fathom what it’s going to take to run 100 miles. I will let you know when it’s done!

Ultra race of champions

Okay so I know this is last minute but I decided to run this race called UROC which stands for ultra race of champions. This is 100k race in wintergreen with some crazy fast runners. Don't believe me? follow this link and see the competition. This is by far the most competitive race I have signed up for and pretty nervous. This will either be a real humbling experience or let me know where I stand running with the nations top ultra runners.

Follow the link below for more information and pray for me!!!
http://www.ultraroc.com/

Revenge on cheat mountain

I recently decided to start blogging so I can remember my experiences from all the running and cool experiences I do.

Coming into this race I felt a lot of pressure. Pressure from myself, pressure from have won this race last year and  pressure from running for theaidstation.com for the first year and thinking I need to do well.

Worked half a day and then went home to pick up my crew that consisted of  My mom, dad, and brother. This year my wife decided she wanted to sleep and leave the crewing duties to my parents that were visiting from CA. We Drove the  3.5 hrs to race from Lynchburg VA. I drove for the first half and then got I back to see if I could sleep a little. Of course I couldn't but felt good to rest anyway. My buddy Sam Dangk drove up with us also.

I have a prerace ritual for every race I run. Eat about an hr and a half before I race. Drink Cup o joe about 1 hr before. Hit the toilet about 30 minutes before and try to empty myself out. Then gel about 15 minutes before. Then do some stretches and leg movements to keep nerves from totally taking over me.  I did all this but felt nervous and tummy was hurting a little more than normal. Joked with Sam about starting sub 7 minute miles. Sang national anthem and then we were off. I stuck to my plan and started off with sub 7 min miles. Couple guys stayed with me for a while but I was not thinking about anyone but myself. I knew I had to get in my groove quickly and not worry about the pack. My goal was 300 calories per hr and 1 salt pill every 30 minutes. Calories strictly from clif gels and clif blocks. I carried everything I need so I didnt have to get anything from aid stations except for water. Saw some lots behind me once in a while at turns but by mile 12 didn't see any lights anymore.
Grabbed some water and headed into single track. I love love love single track. The rockier, rootier, muddier, the better for me. I kept moving fast through this section and did not walk one step. Tripped a couple of times but hands never touched ground so doesn't count as a fall. Came to my favorite aid station with Dan Leyman in charge. Grabbed water and 2 slivers of bananas and headed out. Still feeling good. Hamstring a little tight when I got to road but I knew I would be taking some extra strength excedrin to take off the edge soon enough. Saw Adam and Jeremy driving to aid station 4 and 6 on road. I kept telling my self to go faster. My Montra was that " your not hurting enough. You need to hurt more!". Came into station and saw mom and dad. I loved seeing them. Dad handed me bottle and bag with gels in them. Dropped my trash off said hello to Adam and friends and headed out. Ran that section hard but have to Admit was not feeling great. Took excedrin and was waiting for it to kick in. It did! This section went by fast and came into aid station feeling good. Said hi to my buddy Chros and congratulated him on great run at burning river. Grabbed some salt pills and water and headed out. Moved fast though this section and told myself that if I can get back to next aid station before 5 hrs I had a chance at running sub 7 hours. Got to aid staion by 4 hrs and 50 minutes. Grabbed bottle and gels and headed out. Have to mention this because it's funny but I asked my dad to place salt pills in my bottle. What I meant was in the pouch in front of bottle but he literally broke salt pills and poured salt in my bottle. So needless to say my water tasted like I was drinking sea water. O well. One thing you can always count on is things will not go perfectly. So I didn't drink tons but kept eating. As a matter of fact I ate a gel every 15 minutes now. Saw Adam and Jeremy again and Jeremy said " why you running so slow" jokingly and I said " can I get a ride" ? Then they were gone. Hills seemed longer than usual but ran everyone hard and fast. Kept telling myself to keep my form. Don't get lazy! Run hard! Came into aid station with half salt water bottle poured it out and filled up bottle with just water. My wife has worked many aid stations and always tells me to make sure to thank all the workers.  She says sometimes people up front are in such a hurry they forget to be thankful so I thanked all of them. Asked them how they were doing. They seemed shocked and asked me the same thing. I laughed and said ok and headed out. The next section is supposibly12 miles of downhill but it's NOT! I pushed hard and this section seems like its forever. I kept form. Kept telling myself to bend at hips. Run hard and controlled. Keep turn over going. Got to last aid station and watch said 6:15. I had to run last 5.6 miles in 45 minutes in order to break 7 hrs. So I got some water and started to run harder. I was pushing every hill and spreading my stride on downhills and flats. Got to the road and pushed harder. Don't know what pace was but it sure felt fast!! Pushed last hill hard and saw the camp. Made last right turn into grass. Saw my dad and mom and ran hard. Finished in 6:52:59 to a crowd of 5 people. Crossed line and Shook Adams hand. Came back hugged mom and dad and then just sat down. I got cold quickly and got dressed. I didn't even take a shower. I know I know but I just didn't feel like it. My post run routine is to roll myself with my stick roller and drink water till I have to pee. I layed on the cement stretching, rolling, and drinking till next person came in. It felt good to win. It felt good to break my record from last year but it's not all to me. I waited for all my local runner friends to come in and to shake the last persons hand that came in. No matter how fast or slow you run a race the pain is the same. The goal is the same. Do your best. Overcome struggles. But dont be completly content with this feeling. This feeling of achievement can only be fulfilled in the person that created achievement. The person that created feelings of satisfaction. That can only be found in one person.