A Mountain Sunset

Big Bear Lake taken after a run along the Pacific Crest Trail to the top of Bertha Peak at 8'200 ft.

Traumeel - A Natural Anti Inflammatory

Have you ever experienced drowsiness, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, or heartburn? If you are an ultra runner, you’re likely to answer yes, because many of these are common symptoms experienced during ultra events. They’re also the most common side effects of Advil and Motrin, known generically as ibuprofen.

Ironically many endurance athletes turn to ibuprofen during long training runs and races. Which begs the question: why would someone take a medication that is known to have the very same side effects as the symptoms you are trying to avoid?

Worse yet, Ibuprofen is known to play havoc on your kidneys. It does this by messing with the production of a certain hormone called prostaglandin. Of all hormones, prostaglandin should qualify as a runner’s best friend, because it keeps the blood flowing through the kidneys. And when the blood flows through the kidneys, endurance athletes are more likely to avoid hyponatremia.

An all-natural alternative

A few years ago a wise massage therapist told me about a product called Traumeel. She described it as a natural, homeopathic, anti-inflammatory product without the side effects of ibuprofen. At the time all I knew about homeopathy was that it was a form of alternative medicine. Despite conjuring up images of tarot cards and witch doctors, I was intrigued.

I googled "Traumeel" and what I found was encouraging. The first thing I saw was a definition by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an affiliate of the National Institute of Health (NIH). NCI described Traumeel as.…"diluted extracts isolated from plants and minerals, including belladonna, arnica, St. Johns wort, and Echinacea. …Traumeel S exhibits anti-inflammatory activity; the mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated”. Not fully elucidated? My interpretation of this is that the stuff works, but they don’t really know how it works. I needed to know more.

Then I found something that really got my attention. It was a clinical trial published by the US National Library of Medicine and other science organizations. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial, researchers assessed the effectiveness of Traumeel S in the management of chemotherapy induced stomatitis in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation. Stomatitis causes hideously painful sores that form in the mouth and are a side affect of certain chemotherapy treatments. The study concluded that Traumeel may reduce significantly the severity and duration of this chemotherapy-induced stomatitis. Now that, I thought, was impressive.

In a nutshell, Traumeel is said to slow down the body’s inflammatory process. Data published by the manufacturer reports that “in studies of whole blood cultures, certain plant ingredients of Traumeel S have been found to elevate levels of TGF-ß, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Unlike ibuprofen, Traumeel has no known side effects. Also unlike ibuprofen, which is taken orally and can cause abdominal pain and nausea, Traumeel tablets are taken sublingually (under the tongue) and enter the blood stream directly by avoiding the GI track altogether. Hmmm…one less thing to upset my stomach during an ultra?

Traumeel comes in various forms including tablets and liquid for internal use. It can also be applied directly on the skin over an injured muscle or joint using the gel and cream applications. I used the gel religiously earlier this year after suffering from a knee injury sustained while snow skiing. It helped speed recovery and reduced the chronic swelling associated with the injury. I’ve also used Traumeel tablets and found them to be an effective anti-inflammatory during bouts of heavy training when I’m really pushing my miles.

So whether you are recovering from overuse injury, combating chronic pain and inflammation due to heavy training, Traumeel can be an effective, all natural remedy. It can be found at local health food stores or at online health stores such as eVitamins.

Post Script: I need your help! As you can see, I don’t write this blog for money…hence no annoying pop up advertising. However I do write to encourage and inspire others. My only way to know I am succeeding is getting feedback from and building a following of readers. If you have found value in this blog post, please leave a comment below and follow my blog by entering your email at top of page or on Twitter by clicking here. 

Running The Grand Canyon -- A Video

Here it is folks! Click on the link above to to view the video of our rim to rim to rim run in the Grand Canyon. This was an incredible day, with amazing scenery, unbelievable terrain, and great camaraderie. The video is 15 minutes long. Enjoy!

R2R2R -- Mission Accomplished

Myself and 4 other runners completed the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim yesterday. I have so much footage of pictures and videos I need a day or two to put this uber post together. I promise jaw dropping pics and clips of the epic run! More to follow...

Running The Grand Canyon

So its now official. Last Friday I booked my flight to Flagstaff. I'll be joining Kevin, Jeff and other deranged endorphin junkies to run "the big ditch", otherwise known as the Grand Canyon. We plan to start Saturday, November 8 at 4 am to embark on a run from "rim to rim to rim". Our planned route is estimated to be 48 miles and will take us on from the south rim to north rim and back. I'm told the total elevation gain/loss is around 22,600' (down, up, down, up). We'll be taking the Bright Angel Trail which is a little longer than the South Kaibab route. Running this time of year can be cold on the rim (20's in the am) but should warm into the high 60s as we get into the canyon. Clothing will be a focus.

Other than having to run 48 miles up and down 22,000 feet, I'm really looking forward to this event. I've only been to the Grand Canyon once, and it was part of a Las Vegas trip when I won $2,200 cash playing video poker. This was the only thing I've ever won in Vegas. To say the least I enjoyed that trip immensely. The feel of the cash...I mean Canyon...was incredible, as I recall, and I can't wait to see it again, this time while I run.

I promise many photos on this one and possibly a video post. Stay tuned.

Taking the Blue Planet Run 30-Mile Challenge

Yesterday I was going through my blogroll and read Peter Lubber's post on the Blue Planet Run Foundation's 30-Mile Challenge. The Blue Planet Run Foundation is a non profit organization dedicated to raising global awareness about the lack of safe drinking water, and funding working solutions today for the billion, yes BILLION, people living without ready access to the life sustaining resource.

Crystal Cove Beach Today

The Foundation's Blue Planet Run 30-Mile Challenge is inviting runners to run 30 miles in the month of October to raise funds for three schools in Tanzania. Runners can do 30 miles all in one day, or spread over many days. As I read this I realized that I was already planning on doing a long run, so I signed up! It took 5 minutes on their web site to complete the form and I'm very glad I did. Today I did the 30 miles and "Made the Miles Matter".

In the spirit of the Blue Planet Run Challenge, I ran up to the top of El Moro and descended into the canyon to the ocean. At mile 14 I jumped in the ocean, yelled out loud (coooold), then jogged to the shower, and was back on the road. Today was my first 30 mile training run since before the Western States was cancelled. I felt good today. The legs were a little rusty, but overall the old system is still in tact. Good to make the miles matter, too.

Blue Stillness

Back Bay, Newport Beach, CA. Looking South.


I've always enjoyed running along this side of the Back Bay. The canals are so cool, and on a calm day, smooth as glass. One day I want to paddle a kayak slowly through these canals, and pierce their blue stillness. One day.

When to Say Goobye, Shoes

Several years ago I knew of a man who lived in his car. He wasn't a homeless man. In fact he owned a very nice home, in a nice neighborhood. I knew of this man because his house was across the street from my house. In front of his place was his car, where he actually slept at night. Turns out this man was a pack rat, and he packed so much S%&T in his house that he literally didn't have enough room to sleep in it!

I wouldn't consider myself a pack rat, but the other day I had a weird experience. I was trying to get something out of my closet and a mountain of running shoes was blocking my way. Dozens of pairs! As I was stumbling over this mess, a thought crossed my mind - why in god's name do I need dozens of old, worn out running shoes? It was then the visual crossed my mind of waking up one early morning snuggled in the back seat of my car parked in front of my house!

It then occurred to me. I had to say goodbye to this old heap of shoes. Keeping an extra "retired" pair or two of running shoes to walk around Lego Land or a swap meet in is one thing, but having a different pair to wear every day of the month just ain't sane.

Turning the old soles in

I packed a hefty bag full of these sullen soles and carried them off to Goodwill donation center. I recommend Goodwill even for those "green" runners out there. Goodwill has committed to recycle shoes if they can't be sold.

So I ask myself, what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Rock it!

The Five Training Principles I Live By

When the sun rises at 5:15 a.m. on June 27, 2009, I will be taking my first steps on the Western States 100 mile trail. But those first steps will also be the final steps on a much longer road, the road to prepare for that day. That morning I will have already traveled over 2,000 miles by foot during the previous 10 months. I will have encountered many obstacles. I will have experienced bouts of frustration, self-doubt, and even despair along this road. But these experiences, however difficult, will actually help me during those final steps on that day.


I'm told there are no short cuts on the road to Western States. It is long, and unforgiving. To endure it requires knowledge and planning. It also requires dedication and a lot of training. The road I plan to take to Western States will be similar to the road I took this year, with some variations based on what I learned along this road. Starting in March, like last year, I’ll start building my weekly miles up until I peak somewhere between 80 and 90 miles per week. I’ll try to sustain this until I begin my taper three weeks before the race.

I’m not one to write out a really detailed, daily training schedule. What I have learned in my days as a runner is that if I can set and achieve weekly goals, such as total miles, a long run, interval or hill work, I’m better off not establishing a daily (anal) schedule. I might plan a track or hill workout for the week, but I'll wait to do it late in the week if I have to. This flexibility helps because I can’t predict how quickly or slowly my body will recover from training the previous week or weekend. If I plan on doing a hard run on Tuesday, but I’m not ready to do it

My Girls -- Keep Running in Perspective

until Wednesday or Thursday, my experience tells me to wait until I’m ready, or face injury. I also don’t know what my family and work schedule will allow. Weekly goals give me the flexibility to adapt to the unexpected and the ability to focus on key workouts.

I have always been an avid reader of training philosophies and techniques. Indeed, next to my bed sit dozens of books on how to train for endurance running. Some of my favorite books on training, which tend to be loaded with many types of workouts, include Advanced Marathoning, The Maffetone Method, and the Competitive Runners Handbook. What I have learned through reading over the years is that there are hundreds of workouts one can do, but there are really only a few training principles that I need to follow. Sticking to these principles "in the long run" is more important than focusing on specific workouts.

There are five basic principles in my training program. These are quite simple.

Principle Number 1: build and maintain the aerobic base. In its most basic form this is simply building up and sustaining weekly miles.

Principle Number 2: develop the body’s ability to burn fat for fuel. This requires doing a long run every other week.

Principle Number 3: grow the body's capacity to run faster at a lower heart rate. There are many methods to do this, but running intervals and/or hill repeats are pretty fail safe. As a ultra runner, I'm running these at or below my anaerobic threshold.

Principle Number 4: teach the mind to deal with the adversity that it will face come race day. This requires doing long runs and races on similar terrain and under similar conditions as the race I'm training for. Be it heat or hills or both, training in these elements prior to race day is critical not only to perform well but to be safe.

Principle Number 5: keep smiling while the mind and body want to scream out loud. This is my sanity check. It means to take it easy on easy days, to always recover well after hard workouts, and to simply stop once and a while to look at the sky, the clouds or whatever is around me!

So, come next June, as I pass through the hot canyons, and make my way up the long, sweltering switch backs of Devils Thumb, my mind will begin to drift. It will drift back to the road I took to get there, and the challenges I faced along that road. And as I near the river crossing, and the sun has begun to set, my mind will turn back to the task at hand. It is then that it will encounter familiar signs. Frustration, self-doubt, and despair. But, by then, my mind will know these experiences as old friends. And it will know they are only there as companions to see me along my way.

Nature and Clouds

"Nature is a mutable cloud, which is always and never the same."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them"

John Updike


Just a few thoughts that worked for this picture which was taken while sitting with my wife under a crisp sky, high on a mountain. A fine moment on our 11th anniversary.

2009 Western States Endurance Run -- I'm In

It is now official. I just submitted my entry to the 2009 Western States 100 mile endurance run. Although I was guaranteed an automatic entry as a 2008 participant, I was required to accept or decline the 2009 automatic entry. I accepted, as I expect 90 percent or more of the other '08 participants will do. Who wouldn't accept after being shut out of this year's race due to fires that rose from freaky dry lighting? What runner would train for six months, create animosity between his spouse, develop lingering and sometimes very painful injuries, become single minded to the detriment of his oh-so-important social graces, concoct visions of grandeur in his minds eye, talk excessively of race day tactics with 100 mile finishers, develop the disgusting yet important habit of stuffing TP in his pocket before embarking on early morning trail runs, grow a portfolio of running shoes to rival any Emelda Marcos poser, watch others stare at him with a look of utter confusion and discontent when they hear of his fixation, find ways to work out in the most miserably hot conditions, refuse to unpack a suitcase for a year, identify with terms like "beware of the chair" and "time on foot", write a blog about the absurdity of it all, only to choose NOT to reenter?

I'm looking forward to the next 10 months! I'll keep you posted....

Garmin Forerunner 405 Review. 10 Things to Know Before You Buy

I recently upgraded my Garmin 301 with the Garmin 405. I did this for several reasons. First, my 301 was falling apart, and the only way I could charge it was with the USB cord that plugs into my car. The wall charger it came with stopped working altogether. The heart rate monitor also stopped working. I’d seen photos of the Garmin 405 and it looked like it might even pass for a wrist watch, not the black pill box the 301 so closely resembled. I’ve been using the Garmin 405 for over a week now, and here is what I found:

1. This is no simple stopwatch with a GPS. The Garmin 405 is more akin to a body probe with an attitude. It beeps at you when you touch it in the wrong place. Then it barks at you when you yell at it. You must prepare for this one. A tutorial, a seminar, a degree, anything to get to know the software inside. I don’t recommend trying to learn it while running. I nearly tumbled into a bed of cacti tinkering with this thing on a run.

2. Never, ever lose the charger. Unlike the 301 that would take any old USB cord, the Forerunner 405 can only be charged using a custom "clip" that comes with the device. If you lose the custom charger, well, good luck. You will have to buy another custom charger. Gone are the days when you could charge your Garmin in your car on the way to a run. A fifteen minute drive used get me an hour of battery life. I’ll miss that.

3. Don’t be fooled by Garmin 405’s good looks. I was originally interested in the Garmin 405 because I thought it was slimmer than its bulky GPS brethren. Then I saw it. While smaller and sleeker than both the Garmin 301 and 305, this newer Garmin is far from dainty. I would describe it as a GPS in “thin” disguise. Bulky, but with good lines. Still too big to wear around as a watch in most circumstances.

4. This watch functions using “touch” points, not buttons. To scroll though the menu and settings you must “touch” the bezel of the watch. At first use I was worried about this system. I accidentally rubbed the watch on my shirt, and this mere touch caused the 405 to scroll though several screens and left me in the bowels of the settings menu. Fortunately I found the screen lock function to avoid this from happening again.

5. The satellite search time is much quicker with the 405. One of my biggest gripes of my Garmin 301 was the length of time it took to sync with the satellites. I can’t even recall how many times I stood in the middle of the street interminably like an idiot waiting for the GPS to link up. Of course smarter and more anal runners always place their GPS outside several minutes before a run, thereby avoiding the pre run loiter. The Garmin 405 gets around all this by simply linking to the satellites very quickly. It took the 405 eleven seconds to get a link when I tested it, whereas I’ve waited for minutes at a time for my 301 to link. Thank you Garmin!

6. The heart rate monitor actually works. I have to say that I was very disappointed with my old Garmin, the 301, heart rate monitor. It simply didn’t function with the GPS, and continued to give false heart rate readings, often greater than 200 bpm on long runs. Now I’m a pretty fit runner, but 200 beats per minute? I finally stopped using the 301’s heart rate monitor and bought a Polar heart rate monitor to wear on the other wrist. For the last year I’ve run double fisted, Polar HRM on one wrist and Garmin 301 on the other. The Garmin 405 brings a heart rate monitor and GPS together in one package that works.

7. Data is transferred to your computer, automatically. I’m not a big data transfer guy, but I did experiment with this feature. It doesn’t take an IBM engineer to get this started, but it does take patience, one of those old world virtues never bestowed on me. I made it as far as loading the software and transferring the data. When I attempted to look at the information on the computer, I couldn’t find it, let alone load the program to view it. Do I really plan to use this? Hmmm. Move on.

8. Like its predecessors, the 405 has many features that could be very helpful to the techie runner. Auto pause, auto lap, auto scroll, virtual partner, specific workouts, and courses are all included. Again, like the data transfer feature, these are features I generally don’t use often, if at all. One cool thing I noticed however was the “back to start” function. Here a runner, if lost, can ask the watch to navigate him or her back to where they started. Not a bad feature when you’re lost on a mountain. The only down side is you have to make it back before the battery dies (8 hours) or you’re SOL.

9. Limited use when wet. Even the owners manual states that “if he bezel is wet, wipe the bezel dry before using it”. Hmmm, did anyone tell the designers that runners generally sweat when running? Do I have to carry a hanky now? I haven’t experienced a problem with this yet, but I’m not one to mess around with the watch while I’m running. Scrolling between screens is all I need on the run and the auto scroll feature should take care of this. Auto scroll allows the user to design three customized screens for workouts and the watch will automatically scroll through these screens.

10. Limited Battery Life. The manual says the 405 has a full 8 hours of battery life using the GPS. However, I did a 4 hour run with the 405 and within three hours the watch was signaling a low battery. The fact that I was not wearing the heart rate monitor strap could have contributed to the shortened battery life. I tested the 405 again, this time wearing the heart monitor strap. After my two hour run there was 70% of the battery life remaining. My guess is the battery life is shortened when you don’t wear the heart monitor strap because, like a cell phone, the device is constantly searching for signal that doesn’t exist.

Would I recommend the Garmin Forerunner 405? I’m not sure I can make that decision right now. Until I subject the device to more field testing, including some five-plus hour runs, I have to reserve judgment. I will keep you “posted”.

Back in the Saddle -- On Saddleback Mountain

Today marked the first day since the Western States debacle I’ve really felt like I’m back in the saddle. Maybe it was because we ran Saddleback Mountain. I was joined by Kevin S, Rob M, and Jeff D on some of my favorite trails on the mountain, including Holy Jim, Main Divide and Trabuco canyon. Much of the Saddleback Marathon is run on these trails.

We started at 7 am. Things livened up right away as we began climbing the ever relentless Holy Jim trial, a 2,200 feet climb over four and half miles. Holy Jim throws a dozen switch backs at you that march straight up the mountain, ending at Bear Springs along Main divide Road. Jeff D turned around close to the top of Holy Jim to finish early enough to write a warm message on the dust of my car. Thanks Jeff, very sweet of you.

Kevin and Jeff -- Holy Jim

From there we ran south for eight miles along the Main Divide road, which serves as the boarder of Orange and Riverside counties. The views along this road never cease to inspire me, and today was not a disappointment despite the hazy smog that hung in the sky. Mt. Baldy, Mt. Gorgonio and Corona on the left; the Pacific Ocean and Orange County on the right.

Me and Kevin -- Main Divide

We then reached Trabuco trail and began the long windy descent down one of the more rock strewn trails on the mountain. Today Trabuco claimed one victim, that being Rob M who slammed his toe into what appeared to be a sword like stone. Stoically he walked, then ran through the searing pain, not to be concerned about the Angeles Crest 100 miler, his next run starting in two weeks. Total trip: 18.3 miles with extra mile back to check on guys at end.

Sugarloaf Mountain Redux

Ever since hiking to the foot of Sugarloaf Mt. last June during my Western States taper, I’ve been angling to “run” all the way to the summit of this rounded peak. Indeed, getting so close but not making it to the top last time left me with a lingering motivation.

I started my trek around 8 a.m. The air was a cool and crisp, and the sun was shining brightly on the horizon. I carried two water bottles and no food, thinking the round trip would take two hours or less. Of course, as it turns out, that was “flatlander” thinking. And flatlander thinking doesn’t account for the little things peculiar to running in the mountains. Things like when you run at altitude, say between 9,000 and 10,000 feet, you go a little slower. Or, when you have to deal with 4,000 feet of elevation change over nine miles, or make your way up steep grades that bring you to all fours, things can take a little longer. Ok, I’m still learning.

Trail Marker -- San Gorgonio Background

I ran along the ridge that connects Sugarloaf to the Bear Mountain Ski area. The view is quite stunning along this ridge, and I found myself stopping several times to simply gaze at what lay before me. To my right, Mt. San Gorgonio, Southern California’s highest peak at 11,499 feet. To my left, Baldwin and Big Bear Lake, nestled under an eastern horizon that reached a distance far beyond what my eyes have ever seen. Quirky mountain peaks jutted, randomly, from the desert floor that unfolded all the way to Arizona. Joshua Tree, Twenty Nine Palms, Palm Springs lay below me, unnoticeable amidst a painted landscape.

(Click on picture below for full view)

As I approached the end of the ridge, past the location where I turned back last time, I glanced up to see the peak. Tall pine trees covered every square foot of the mountain. But I couldn’t see the peak, only a rounded, seemingly endless forest of Pine trees. I glanced at my watch. Should I turn around? I was already over an hour and a half into this quest, and I hadn’t even started the steepest section. I pressed forward thinking that if I didn’t make it this time, when would I?

Sugarloaf Mt. Elavation 9,952'

Despite a lack of food and limited water, things were going well. The single track trial I'd been following was narrow yet visable, at least most of the way. But just as I was ready to attempt the steepest section, the narrow trail that led me this far had vanished. Gone, just like that! Ok, I was in a hurry to get up the mountain and I didn't really look for it. Instead I decided to keep going straight up the side of the peak, leaving markers behind me to help find my way back.

Disappearing Trail (2E18)

Finally, after crawling over giant, fallen tree trunks, loose rock fields, the steep grade began to flatten. I had reached the top! I walked toward the monument that marked the peak, stopped for a few photos and signed the registry.

Then I stood in the silence. And a light wind blew from the south.

A Small Space

This morning my oldest daughter left for summer camp. Gone for two weeks, she confessed she might miss her family "a little bit". But as she boarded the bus, I noticed the tears as we waved goodbye. It was then I knew, as Washington Irving once said, that there is a 'sacredness' in tears. And tears are not the mark of weakness, but of power.

Last week she completed her first year of Junior Lifeguards, a program for kids that mixes ocean safety and a little run/swim competition. On her last day she competed in the vaunted Monster Mile Race. Here kids must run a mile on the sand and then swim a mile in the Pacific Ocean.

Friends on first day of Junior Lifeguards

I don't think I've ever swam a mile in my life, let alone in the ocean, and certainly didn't at nine years old. It’s a big event for the kids, and many dress up in costumes for pre-race reverie. As race day approached I knew she and her friends were getting anxious.

Waiting to Start the Monster Mile

When the whistle blew, she kept with her plan and stayed in the middle of the pack. But as she neared the finish of the run portion of race, she found herself, surprisingly, in the first group. Right next to the faster runners! Since swimming is her strength, she told me later that as she approached the swim leg of the race, she thought she had a shot at a strong finish. Clutching her swim fins she hurried toward the beckoning sea. Then, like fires that rise from dry forests, the waves rose from the darkened sea. Pushed by winds blowing thousands of miles away, the surf had grown so high that the lifeguards wouldn't let the kids in her age group enter the water.

As she stood seaside waiting for the waves to subside, my daughter listened to the instructor explain to her that they would have to cancel the rest of the race. It was just too dangerous with the big waves. It couldn't be, she thought. So much work. So much anticipation. At that moment a tear emerged from her eye. As it rolled down her cheek, she knew she had done her best to prepare for this great race. And as that tear fell from her cheek, it traveled through a small space. A space where dreams grow from hard work, but occasionally give way to greater forces. A space where you can hold the cup of success in your hands, but you just can't drink from it.
Just then, she looked down and she saw her tear, falling. As it touched the ground she felt its power, and then she understood what it meant to be there.

Welcome to this small space, little one. It's not so bad there. I love you.