Endurance (vol. 1)

VMM 2019 - 2:55am on Sept. 20th at the starting line of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VMM) 70km race outside of Sapa town.  I'm calm, but nervous about my most recent training endeavors.  The longest run in the last many months was a horrifically hot 14 miler in the foothills of Hanoi.  It's been raining all night and I decide to "be bold, start cold," as my mountaineer buddy Slick Nick says, by leaving the poncho in my pack.  This was my 8th ultra attempt in 5 years, having not finished the last two.  If I DNF this one, that's three failed attempts in a row.  Maybe my competitive cross fit friend was right - I should have a running coach.  My goal in all these races isn't to just finish, but finish strong.  I hoped to break my streak here.  I didn't know anyone else running VMM.  Training is often a team effort, but it was all up to me now.  

View of highest Vietnam mountains, big sky

I've been inspired by feats of physical and mental endurance since I can remember.  In High School I read the ultimate Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing, about stranded explorers surviving in barren Antarctica for two years.  Shackleton, while risking the rest of his life for his expeditions, was a dedicated to survival of his crew.  Later, I marveled over Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki Expedition - a voyage across the pacific on a balsa wood raft, retracing the (probable) steps of the Inca's journey inhabiting Eastern South Pacific islands around 1,000 years ago.  

These epic feats of endurance, exploration, and survival take a different form today.  No longer are humans looking for a new expansive lands or passages. However the drive to explore, endure, and push the limits of human capabilities lives on and continues to motivate my actions and bring balance and meaning to my life.  Here, I will share experiences from previous running adventures including VMM '19 and my associated training, a few inspiration endurance feats from professionals, and a call for a new plant-based diet training plan.

Last summer I wrote down some of the questions that drive I have about my interest in human performance.  

• Why do people seek endurance-based adventures, even when our species no longer depends on them for survival? Or are they?
• Is there still an evolutionary benefit to pushing the limits of human abilities? 
• Is our innate drive for exploration - which has led to human global domination - being transferred to an exploration of the limits of human endurance? 
• Why is it, that when we feel physical pain and we want it to end, whence the pain subsides, we actively seek out the same adventure that brings pain again? 
• How does engaging in endurance sports and physical limit-testing shape the rest of our lives?  How can we maximize both?

At this moment, I'm not able to answer any of these questions, but those of us who dedicate their lives to being closer to the answers might be mentioned here.  

VMM '19 - 3:00am start.  The rain stopped in the same moment the starting whistle blew, and didn't return for the duration of the race.  The first couple of hours progressed as they all have - strong, slow, and steadily passing those who attempted the hole shot.  Would I feel like this in the next couple hours?  This course was harder than last year, when I ran the best race of my life.  How would I fare on the extra 600m of gain?

A fellow runner pushing himself after 7 hours

Modern athletes are crushing records and setting the bar in the stratosphere.  Here are a few that continue to blow me away:

1. Mike McKnight winning three 200 miles races in 2017.

2. Sarah Thomas and her English Channel swim... 4 times nonstop.

3. Uli Steck setting the speed record on the Eiger in 2015.

4. Dean Karnazes 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days and his future goal to run a marathon in every country of the world within a year.  Whatttt?

5. Nearly anything by Kilian Jornet, most recently skiing nearly 24 kilometers in one day... did I mention these were vertical kms?

6. Paul Salopek's decade long 21,000-mile odyssy retracing the pathways of human migration, one of my favorites.  This epic journey is particularly interesting to me as I currently read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

When Molly and I started dating in 2015, we climbed a number of 14ers together.  She wasn't as into roped technical climbing so we hiked mountains and ran down together.  For me it where the motivation for endurance started: Sky Running.  The premise is simple: big skys, ultra distances, vertical.  That fall, I ran my first ultra - 40 mile Grand Traverse from Crested Butte to Aspen.  Three weeks later, Reid and Brett met me and BC at the trail head to Chicago Basin 14ers.  On Sept 26th, 2015 we ran to and summitted the most remote of Colorado's 14ers.  17 hours, 45 miles, 10k+ ft. of elevation gain.  So many memories live on from this day - including the feeling at the summit of North Eolus, our last mountain at 4pm, and thinking only 18 miles to go in two and a half hours of daylight.  We crushed the descent and I can still see the perfectly yellow aspens quaking as Reid speeds ahead of me on the descent through the basin. One of my favorite outdoor adventure days ever.  The following spring, I finished my first and only 100km race on the North Umpqua Trail in Oregon.  Five years later, after obtaining a Master's Degree, buying a house, owning a dog, starting a career, getting married, moving across the world, and having a baby boy, I'm still in pursuit of endurance running.

Molly scoping out the remainder of the Halo ridge to Mt. of the Holy Cross

Stoked to be on the summit of Castle Peak

First ultra - Grand Traverse

Me, BC, Reid, Bret in Chicago Basin

Two adventures in upper cirque from Chicago Basin

Sending!

VMM '19 - A thin thin layer of fog and mist hovered at the summit, also the midpoint of the course.  I changed my socks.  35km in, 35km to go.  I still felt great.  I popped 200g of ibuprofen, shoved a date bar in my mouth, and charged down the mountain, passing more runners.  Still feeling amazing, possibly better than ever before, but still hours to go.  With 20km to go, I knew I could finish as strong as I wanted.  A friend and colleague paced me into the finish.  11h 30min.  20th/326.  No broken records, no podium, but a finish that pushed me, and a training regiment that worked.  I felt more fit than any other time in my life.  What was it that worked so well this time?

Feeling GOOD on the trail - VMM '19

Well, a few key ingredients.  Firstly, soccer.  Increasing (from near nothing) my volume of Zone 3+ workouts helped my speed.  I played a few full 90-minute games leading up to the race and multiple two hour training sessions.  Secondly, 10 air squats for every mile immediately post run.  These helped stretch the muscles around my knee which get tight post run and obviously improved strength - important for the lack of hills in Hanoi, and presence of hills in this race.  Thirdly, long cycles in place of big runs the month before race day.  The rides relieved my knees and joints from impact, while helped with higher volume, lower intensity training I lacked.  Also, I tried to still put in ~70km/ week, including the soccer training.  Finally, my diet.  I ate a predominately plant-based diet the week leading up to the race, and strictly for the pre-race days.  Reid told me about this a while back and I've done it many times, and it always seemed to work for me.  It sure did this time.  

Diet cannot be overemphasized.  I've read and increasing number of articles and posts from elite athletes over the years about their switch to a plant-based diet and their associated athletic successes.  To top it all off, I wanted The Game Changers and nearly had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  To sum it up, boundless research shows that eating a plant based diet, for anyone, not just athletes, drastically decreases chances of heart disease, cancer, cellular inflammation, reduces recovery time from injury and enhances fecundity in males to top it off.  Scott Jurek and Patrick Baboumain both are showcased breaking world records in their fields during the film (running the Appalachian trail in 43 days and  yoke walk, respectively). Additionally, as I teach in my environmental class (but often then eat my hypercritical hamburger), eating a plant-based diet drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation rates and habitat loss, nutrient runoff, and water and air pollution all serious.  Watch the movie.

The inspiration gleaned from premier athletes will continue to spark my drive for endurance sports, sky running, and adventure.  I plan to use what I've learned from plant-based diets and vegan athletes to maximize performance and live an even more healthy and deliberate life.  I hope the resulting experiences from endurance adventures will continue to provide a necessary ingredient to the recipe of a tasty life. 

Amuma Says Yes

Amuma says yes to her family.

Amuma says yes to knowing deeply about her kin.  The way she shows her love is to talk regularly about your activities, what you're up to, your passions, what you do for work.  Amuma always knows the updates of each of her children, grandchildren, nieces & nephews, and their children.  Need the lowdown on Spunky, Luci, or Tia Kim and Gary's whereabouts in the west?  Ask Amuma. 

One of my greatest and most recent memories with Amuma occurred last winter.  Molly and I were leaving when Amuma pulled out the old family photo album and gave us a full photo supported family history on the carpeted floor by the fireplace.  I loved hearing about the man who loved Amuma Luci and treated her kids like nieces and nephews, but respected Luci's boundaries.  I loved hearing stories of her brothers; only Uncle Joe I knew with his big truck.  Everyone seems to have loved Uncle Frank. 

Amuma says yes to a lunch date.  Every Friday growing up she'd pick me up from school and take me to the classiest fast-food places - The Golden Arch's, BK, or Wendy's.  A happy kid with a happy meal later, we'd head back to the Sycamore house and play in the yard, or the closet of toys she'd collected.  I'd bother papa Cal in the dark kitchen while he read the paper.  I remember twice walking onto the back patio, thinking the screen door was there, but it wasn't and face-planted on the concrete.  I remember eating basque red beans on the little kitchen table, which had ruminated for hours before in the garage, making the whole place smell of home.  I remember dad telling me about when Amuma Luci used to live with them in the Sycamore house - a true multi-generational American family led by a matriarchal immigrant. 

I've always loved going to Amuma's.  She still takes me out to Eddie's diner, Be De Nay, and once the Mexican joint on State.  We chat about everything - school, teaching, Molly's family, the cousin's, my amazing blended family.  When we're lucky we're joined by my sister, Molly, or a cousin.  In college, during my Amuma visits, I'd earn my keep by trimming a hard to reach branch, doing a paint touch up, or re-fastening exterior trim. 

Amuma says yes to a good time.  I used to LOVE Christmas Eve at Amuma's, especially when the Eugene crew came out.  Rolling around with Meg, Luci, Spunky, and Aidy was the best, and we were always watched over by the half asleep Amuma Luci in the big white chair by the tree.  Kid friendly egg-nog, solomo, and eventually clams and rice stuffed our bellies before Amuma Luci's infamous flan and pears in wine sauce.  I know Amuma had many holidays as the sole Boise rep at the Williams/Johnson residence in Eugene too.  She's always been good at visiting. 

As the grandchildren have emerged into adulthood, the best memories have morphed in style, but not in essence.  Tara & Barb joined the party as the Christmas Karaoke nights began in full force at the Betts Residence.  Amuma would partake in the singing, dancing, and earnest compliment giving throughout the night.  Like the rest of us, after a few glasses of wine, her singing may have left something to be desired, but her presence didn't.

Amuma says yes to dogs.  I know there were more, but Chapo, the little shit(zoo), was the first to my memory.  Like the later Chico, they were close companions of Amumas and spoiled rotten to the bone.  Now there is Bella, the beautiful, brilliant ray of sunshine that graces Amuma with her presence at any beck and call.  

Amuma says yes to crosswords & 12 almonds every morning.  More need not be said.

Amuma says yes to love.  Most young children, as I, don't pay much attention to the love lives of their elders, but I know Amuma fell in (and at times, out of) love with many wonderful men.  Jett, Cal, and Jim were all grandfathers to me in one sense or another.  I remember playing cards and golf with gentle Jim and I could tell he loved Amuma dearly. 

Rosie once told me that her best friend was her mother.  The first 20 years of my life I rarely saw Amuma Luci without Rosie until I could drive myself to see Luci separately.  They always spoke basque to each other.  I thought it was so cool that my Amuma Luci first spoke Basque, then Spanish, then a bit of English.  We went grocery shopping at Albertson's together, Luci would shop for herself, I would stick with Rosie.  They had their shopping routine dialed.  We would drop Luci back at her place at the imperial plaza and I would eat a lemon drop from the glass bowl. 

Amuma says yes to life.  The Amumas of the family were staples that raised us all. They gave culture, depth, and traditions to our family that will live on as long as their lineage does.  We love you.   

Amuma says yes to her family.

The Cat Ba Tridem

In spring of 2018, My sister and her boyfriend finished their respective stints as Ski instructor and patroller in Summit County with plans to visit my wife and I in Malaysia for our April break, and follow us back to Vietnam for another week of exploring the natural landscapes of the far Eastern lands.   

They boarded a plane bound for Malaysian Borneo only to step off the tarmac to a near 80 degree F temperature shift and a blazing equatorial sun.  Again our goal was to embrace the coastline, the mountains, and the wildlife of this massive island.  We motorbiked in tank tops through monsoon downpours to majestic white sand beaches.  We climbed Mt Kinabalu, Malaysias highest peak at 4k meters that shoots out of the jungle into a granite massif, which looks as if the rock had gravity-dependent runnels, resembling the snow in North American peaks as it succumbs to the unmistakable pattern of late spring rain.  We hitchhiked at night across the tip of the island in the fastest, narrowest, bumpiest, most swervy, scariest rides of our lives.  Back in Vietnam we explored caves of limestone karsts, swam in waterfallls with locals, .  Finally, to finish their Asian Adventure, we all rode a fairy over to Cat Ba Island for a final exploration of Lan Ha Bay, which is a shallow blue/green bay sprinkled with thousands of 80m limestone karsts, all capped with subtropical greenery.  We went deep water soloing and Kayaking through the cliffs, and marveled at the contrast of sea and land.  In Cat Ba, people slowly scoot around in limo-length golf carts, scooters, bicycles, and finally, tandom bikes.  These are the activities we intentionally planned, in an attempt to recreate in the Asian natural landscapes, much as we do in our North American recreational culture.  One adventure we didn't plan was a triple ride on a tandom bicycle, now called the Cat Ba Tridem.

Before I explain the tridem ride, I have to give a quick briefing on Vietnamese bicycles.  Having lived in Vietnam for years, I have noticed how bicycles play an important role in the culture of personal businesses and mobility around cities, towns, and villages.  In Hanoi, the capital city and major urban hub, 3 hours from Cat Ba, middle aged to elderly ladies push their rickety, yet functional crusier-style cycles all over the city, pedaling fresh fruits, baked goods, veggies, clothing, trinkets, even Karoake machines blasting traditional Viet tunes.  In the neighborhoods, young people, often students and of all ages, pedal single speed full-sized bicycles as their primary commuting vehicle.  All bikes look like they have been ridden for generations.   One major feature of these young commuter bikes is a makeshift seat over the back tire for a second rider.  These seats are often just a metal rack, just as you'd see on a traditional bike-touring rig.  The back seat rider either casually dangles their feet on either side of the wheel or delicately places them in the chain stays.  Kids give each other rides to and from school; in villages this can a hilly, 5 km one way commute.

Back to Cat Ba Island:  After a raucous traditional Vietnamese dinner of sautéed greens, BBQ's chicken, and a baked fish from the bay, all washed down with too much strong rice wine, we opted to find our way home via a roadside rented tandem bicycle, paid for with a one hundred thousand Vietnamese Dong (5 bucks bucks).  This tandem bicycle, much like the aforementioned traditional bicycles, had a back seat rack over the tire. There were three of us.  There was only one answer. I had never seen ride 3 grown adults to a tandem in Vietnam.  We debated back and forth as to the safety and feasibility of successfully riding a Cat Ba Tridem.  The excitement of the unknown overrode our sense of safety and comfort, and we mounted the tridem.  The local vendor was highly encouraging of our upcoming tridem attempt.  Matt, the least experienced rider, took the helm, Megan in the middle, and myself in the back.  We swerved enough to scrape the pedals on the pavement, and had multiple near misses as we coasted down our first hill.  We whooped and hollered like we hadn't during our entire trip.  Megan was in tears of mutual enjoyment and terror having no exit plan in the middle of the tridem and no control over the breaks, rolling speedily down the street.  Pedestrians, both local and travelers, pointed and laughed with us as we began to manage the balance on the bike.  Our ride ended at family run beer hall, yet another staple of Northern Vietnam.  Our faces were red with joy and bellies were aching from laughter.  An unexpected mode of travel left us marveling at the possibility of three on a bike. 

Collectively we spent thousands of dollars on this 15- day trip.  Dozens of emails, wire transfers, sunburns, planned excursions, and hours of planning made this trip possible.  Yet, one of our favorite memories and shared experiences was the curbside decision to mount a Cat Ba Tridem and coast into the night, not aware of the outcome.  The risk wasn't great, as some fly-by-night outdoor pursuits can be, but more importantly making time in these long international travel excursions for daily doses of spontaneity can make memories for a lifetime.  Every time we see riders on a tandem, we are reminded of the joy of riding our Cat Ba Tridem, and time spent traveling, adventuring, and leaving time for unexpected happenings with my family and friends.