Author: Dave Whiteside

Pinellas Trail Challenge, 46 mile race on one of the hottest days of the year. Warning, long race report.

This was my second ever ultra back in 2015 and one I’ve wanted to win ever since. It’s my favorite race, right behind the 6 hour Durty Beer Run, due to the generosity of all the volunteers, the course, and most of all the challenge, this is such a grueling race. Every year since 2015 apart from 2017 when I was injured, I’ve toed the line with a belief, probably more desire, that I could win this race, but usually cramping comes into play and my pace falls off. This year was no different but I think I had more confidence, I told more people that I was going to win this year, this was going to be my year. However there was a little doubt in the back of my mind, before my 60K Bryce Canyon race at the end of May my hip, which I had replaced almost 11 years ago, has been bothering me and at the end of the race it was screaming with me from the climbing, descent and soft sand. It was okay for the Lake Baldwin race in July which I finished second after cramping at mile 20, but once again screamed at me after the 6 Hour Durty Beer Run in August just 3 weeks earlier. In fact doing an easy training run the Thursday after I pulled up after 3 miles as my hip was getting worse and the pain travelling down my leg and I had to walk 1.5 miles back to my car. I didn’t run again for 8 days and instead took to the pool and swam 1.5 miles each day, which is something I don’t do. I had a couple of runs the week leading up to the race but the last run on Wednesday also had my hip reminding me of the challenge ahead. But with all of that I somehow felt confident and told the Clever Training Run group I was going to win, I told … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Yesterday I won the Durty B-ee-rr-un 6 Hour Race for the 5^th time, tying my course record from last year of 39.6 miles with 20 minutes left on the clock. This was the last year the race directors Sean & Tracey Connolly were holding this race but hopefully someone will pick it up. This was my first ultra back in 2015 after reading Chris McDougal’s Born to Run and Scott Jurek’s Eat and Run captivated me to push to see what my body and mind would be capable of. After my first marathon in 2013 my hip, which I had replaced just over 2 year earlier, was screaming at me and I was unable to run more than a mile for a year so I had no interest in ever running that distance again, let alone further. I learned of this free “Fat Ass” race and decided this was a perfect opportunity to see if I could run that long without damaging my hip again and being injured. Fortunately I did very well and finished second and although my hip was sore it recovered quickly enough for me to run the Pinellas Trail Challenge 46 mile race 3 weeks later with the same outcome. The race directors, Sean, Michael and Susan Anger for this Grand Slam series have opened the door for me and many others to dip their toes into the world of ultras without any cost, and over the years I’ve introduced these races to many others to come down to try. Their commitment to putting on these exceptional races have helped and inspired runners to achieve levels they never would have attempted if it wasn’t for them.

For me the Durty Beer Run is the best format of the 3 for new runners. It’s a timed race, so you can run whatever distance you want. The course is a loop, anywhere from 3 to 3.6 miles, easily allowing the runner to self crew with a cooler at the start/finish line, it runs along the water edge for much of the race, and now runs around the … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Bryce Canyon 60K Race recap. Maybe this race should carry a “Do not try this at home, if you live in Florida” warning. I thought I was prepared for this race with a chance to come out and win it, but no matter how you train it doesn’t prepare you for it. I had been training on the Belleair bridge 3 times a week for the last 3 months, including back to back 34 & 28 miles. But with our incline of maybe 4% it doesn’t come close to the continuous climbs that you face on a real trail. Add to that 7,500 feet elevation at the start with over 4,600 feet of climbing, the sun beating down on you, dry air and the dust it was a challenge.

The race started out at 6am, with about 280 people in the field. I recognized the person that had won the race the previous 2 years and was hoping that I could beat his 6 hours 18 minute time. There were more competitors this year so I also knew that there were probably other people coming to do the same and when the race started and the lead pack started the run up-hill in soft sand I knew it was going to be tough to win. Race temperature at the start of the race was around 37 degrees and would stay chilly for a couple of hours. Rather than chase them I settled into my own pace and let a group of 15 or so run ahead. I knew the first 4.4 miles were the steepest climbs in the race and didn’t want to go out too hard, but looking back at my Garmin stats it said my heart rate went up to 192 before I hit the steepest portion where I walked. I actually felt pretty good during that section and just thought part of the heavy breathing was just the altitude that I hadn’t quite got used to only coming to this area 48 hours earlier. I had to get a massage Thursday morning as my calf’s were destroyed … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

When I had my hip replaced 10 years ago I wasn’t even a runner. I was someone that played soccer until I was just over 40 and then did nothing for almost 10 years before having my hip replaced. I started running to lose some weight and pretty soon fell in love with it and it’s taken me on an incredible journey. I’ve had some downs but those were due to me not listening to my body, but the vast majority has been in the “runners high”. I’ve met some great people along the way, runners with incredible talent, runners with incredible patience and runners with incredible stories. There’s always something to learn along the route, take time to absorb it all and don’t take it for granted.

I’ve ran 2,000 miles for 4 of the last 5 years and if you had asked me if I thought I could run 50% more in one year I would have said no, but as we know 2020 hasn’t been a normal year. I place much of my success to being surrounded by great friends that continue to motivate me every day, to following a keto life style allowing my body to recover quicker than it would otherwise, and also to running slow.

I hope my stories that I’ve shared have encouraged you a little to go the extra mile, to run after being told you can’t, and to enjoy your passion. I wish I would have found this sport when I was young and wonder what may have been, but for now I continue to push and refuse to let age slow me down. I’ve still won several races this year, set course records and new PR’s and somehow get faster. That will change, but hopefully my passion for this won’t.

Wishing you all enjoy the holidays, stay safe with your family and hope that 2021 is better for all of us.
Dave.

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Summer in Florida with temperatures in the 90’s and feels like over 100, who would consider running ultras in this heat. Welcome to the Summer Slam Series, 3 races that take place 3 to 4 weeks each with unique challenges.

First up was the Lake Baldwin 50K in Orlando, 10 loops of a 2.5 mile loop around the lake on a tarmac path for a total of 32.5 miles. Going into this race I hadn’t trained as much as I wanted, after running the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee, I took a 9 day break on my vacation but fell while fishing running to grab a rod with a Snook on it. My first run back I could feel my knee that I landed hard on and it then effected my hip, I think I jarred it on the impact. For the next couple of weeks every run felt off and I wasn’t planting my left leg firmly. About a week before the race it started to feel better. The race starts at 8:30 in the morning, so it is already very hot with minimal shade on the course, but at least every loop you can stop and refuel before heading out again. A strong group of 5 runners kept together for the first 3 laps (me, Andy, Jeff, Bruce and Jason) setting a good pace, with Luis starting in a later wave, any of which could win the race. I fell a little behind from the water stop and had to catch the group back up, when I did I pushed the pace a little but was caught again by the time we entered the aid station area again. Jeff ran through and had a nice lead with Andy next and me third. I caught Andy at the end of the next loop and was now chasing down Jeff. I caught him about a half mile before the end of loop 6 and was now in first place, a lead I would not give up. It got real hot with a feel like over 100 degrees and that started … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

New at LifetimeRunning.net: “At 60, Dave Whiteside is running fast ultra-marathons with a hip replacement.” Not just fast, but he also recently logged a 200-mile training week as part of the Race Across Tennessee. Whiteside doesn’t follow the well-trod path. He went Keto several years ago, believes he can improve his marathon and ultra-marathon PRs, and generally chooses a full, energetic, challenge-filled life over just getting along. Read the full story.… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

I can’t believe I’ve just ran 200 miles in the last 7 days and also walked 15 miles on top of that. A friend of mine ran that distance 2 weeks ago he said why don’t I do it, I thought about it and said no way, the maximum I thought I could ever do was 140. I didn’t think any more of it as a weekly goal but knew last week I had planned to run a lot of miles to finish the #GVRAT (The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee) before I go on vacation May 30th. Every time I thought about finishing in that time I kind of dismissed it, I knew it meant running a marathon a day for 2 weeks and some longer runs on top of it. As this weekend (Fri-Mon) came around I set myself an ambitious goal of 31, 42, 42 & 31 miles which would leave 3 more marathons for me to finish the 635 miles in 28 days on May 28th, and hopefully a Top 100 finish (out of 19,000+). Yesterday when I was running I knew back to back 42’s was going to be really tough both mentally and physically, so I decided to run 50 miles yesterday so it would only require me to run 34 today, so much easier. My usual weekly mileage is around 45 miles, but during this pandemic it’s been higher around 70 miles. Last week was a new high for me with 108 after the previous weeks 92. It was only yesterday when I looked at Strava that I realized if I ran the 84 miles it would bring me to exactly 200 miles, kind of weird that it worked out that way. Fingers crossed the next 4 days will go to plan and I can finish this race without injury and then enjoy a 9 day break from running. This race has been fun but pushed me way outside my comfort zone, and this heat and humidity is no fun, but at a 10:02 pace it’s been an amazing journey. 105.76 … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

A nice little write up about me, my running journey since my hip replacement and how the ElliptiGo has helped me. I have to write at least 3 reports about recent runs, races etc. Having my hip replacement was a life changer, I hope you have the confidence to follow your heart and go for it.

David Whiteside – May Rider of the Month

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I came down with Shingles mid February and wasn’t able to run or do much for 2 weeks. It was very painful, on the right side of my face and in my eye, the headaches were unbearable. Well after that I started running again and felt great, running 62 miles the first week back which was pretty much the first week of the Covid-19 outbreak in Florida. That mileage would usually be what I would be doing leading up to my summer ultras. I was training for Big Sur in April, the day after my 60th birthday but with the news I knew that was doubtful, but I had to keep training just in case. The following week I ran 60 miles and then received the expected news that Big Sur was postponed, along with pretty much every race in the country being postponed or cancelled.

But rather than stopping waiting for races to start up again, I continued to push myself and the following week I ran 70 miles. I think I had only ever ran 70 miles for training one other time. I felt great, running with a couple of friends of mine as I was working from home and not travelling to Miami, it was a little easier. I was also walking 4 miles several days a week. Given my level of fitness and now not having a race around my birthday, I came up with an idea to give back to my community by running on my birthday. I decided to run a mile for each year, so on Saturday April 25th I will be running 60 miles. I decided to make it even harder by doing the entire run on a bridge, running up and over the bridge 80 times, 0.75 mile per crossing with a climb of about 65 feet. The most I had ever done prior to this was a 50K which was 42 bridge climbs, so this would be pretty much double that distance, not an easy task given the heat and humidity that I expect. But I wanted to make it … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

A year ago I ran the Long Haul 100 finishing in 20 hours 49 minutes and after it vowed never to run another 100 miler again. Well we’ve all said that and we know how long that lasts. So this year I decided to try again and aim for a sub 20 hour finish. I decided to run the Ancient Oaks 100 on the east coast in Titusville, Florida at the end of December. I started off strong and was feeling great. I had trained hard for the last several months and the last 8 weeks had done back to back long runs each weekend, around 20 miles each run. I had selected this race rather than running the Long Haul again in January as I had a goal race in February called the Last Man Standing where I was hoping to run the 4.166 miles every hour for as long as I could, hopefully to be the last man standing. This would allow me about 8 weeks to recover for what would probably be 150+ mile race.

I thought this 100 would be good training and I planned to run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute and repeat the process and I felt like I could still finish sub-20. However when I started I decided I would run the first lap of the 3.5 loop course to get a feel of course and where the difficult parts were and then plan to walk those sections on each loop. For some reason, probably because of my competitiveness, I didn’t walk and carried on running each loop, but watching my Stryd power meter to make sure I wasn’t going over 200 watts, so my effort was consistent and my pace varied as the wind and terrain changed. I felt like I kept my nutrition going well and I was feeling good running my race, not worrying about my position.

I probably was in about 8^th position after the first lap but gradually was picking off people in front of me. I’m not sure what loop I was on when I fell … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

After the Pinellas Trail Challenge 3 weeks ago and my legs cramping and feeling heavy, I thought I would cancel this race but just like every time, a few days later we’ve forgot all the pain and we’re ready to go. So I trained less in the 3 weeks leading up to this, and apart from doing 500 squats in 15 minutes without stopping the Monday before, I was as ready as I could be. This race would bring my race mileage close to 190 miles in 10 weeks, definitely pushing the limits for an amateur athlete, let alone one at 59 years old with a hip replacement.

I drove Jiri from our Clever Training run club up to the race in the morning and when we got out of the car the temperature was cool, unfortunately that wouldn’t last long. We lined up and at 7 Justin started the race with about 150 people running either the 6 hour or 12 hour event of 2.85 mile loops around Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland, Florida. I started off easy, my plan was a 9 minute mile but I found it hard to follow that and was closer to 8:45. Initially 4 people were ahead of me, 2 of which I would pass after a couple of laps and the other 2 were in the 6 hour race.

I started the race fasted, having my usually steak dinner the night before. The first 2 laps I ran without and fluids and then I picked up my handheld with Tailwind that would see me the next 2 laps. I then grabbed a sports bar, had some water and grabbed my next handheld. By the end of the 5^th lap the sun was up, the temperature was rising, and there was a breeze but when running with it, it felt warm and I drank the 20 oz by the time I came in for the 6^th lap. I grabbed my cap and sunglasses and headed out again, by now my legs started to feel a little heavy and my pace slowed to … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Yes we do crazy things here in the heat and humidity in the peak of Florida’s summer, we run around a 3 mile loop as many times as we can in 6 hours. This race was my first ultra back in 2015 after reading Born to Run (Chris McDougal) and Eat & Run (Scott Jurek) inspired me to see what I could achieve. After running my first marathon in 2013 and being injured for a year after that with my hip, it’s crazy to think I would try this, but now I love it and I have no issues with my hip. It’s a free race and usually attracts about a hundred runners and I’ve been lucky enough to finish second in my first attempt and win in 2017 and 2018 setting and improving the course record on those attempts. So I always feel there’s pressure on me to come and do my best and compete against some strong young talent. 4 weeks earlier I won the first in the Summer Slam Series of 3 ultras, and my training had been going well so I was optimistic heading into this race.

There was another strong field at the event this year of which anyone of these could win, Michael, Jason, Greg, Luis who normally participate with an average age in the early 30’s. Bruce who had come up from the Miami area, he came second in the Long Haul 100 and also did well in the Antelope 100. Andy, 25, who had recently joined the Clever Training run group that I run with, had ran a few ultra’s and was a sponsored Spartan athlete. The group fancied his chances against me, less than half my age and in good shape but would the distance and heat be too much for him. Then there were a couple of other young faces I didn’t know that looked like they came out to run a tough race. The race started at 6:30am with high humidity and Michael immediately set of at a fast pace running a sub 8 minute mile and started to … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Another overall win this weekend at the first of the Summer Slam series in Florida during the heat of the summer. I’ve been training really hard for the last 10 weeks after finally getting over a little niggle that I had before my 100 miler in January which I carried through to the Antelope Canyon race in Arizona in March. I had wanted to run a couple of other races before this, but decided to back off and fully recover for the series. These were the first ultras I did starting back in 2015, and running and winning this race in Orlando in July 2016. These 3 races hold a special place in my heart, having exposed me to something I never imagined and so glad to have found these and the wonderful experiences I’ve had.

For the last 10 weeks I’ve picked up my training a little bit, not completely following MAF, allowing my HR to be about 10-15 beats higher on my easier runs. I also upped my short runs from 4 miles to 6 miles and incorporated a bridge in them when possible. For my long runs I’ve been training on my local bridge doing anywhere from 24 – 36 bridge repeats each weekend in the heat. My feeling was that if I train on the bridge, running the flats, of which these 3 races are, it will feel easier and I will be stronger. This race started at 8:40am so I’ve also been starting most of my training runs at 8 rather than getting up early like all the crazies and starting at 6. The first couple I did trying to keep my heart rate within a zone, allowing it to go to 140 up the bridge and trying to bring it down to 120 down. Of course as the temperature increased into the run so did my heart rate, but I didn’t push it any harder. The bridge if 0.75 miles and each climb has an elevation gain of about 70 feet. I try to do the first 12 climbs, 9 miles, fasted, without any … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Who would be interested in running the Big Sur Marathon on April 26th, 2020. It’s supposed to be one of the most scenic marathons in the world, they also have 21 mile, 11 mile and 12K options.. Registration is a lottery drawing, however they also support group registrations. I’m thinking if we can get a group of Hip Runners to register as a group we would have a pretty good chance of getting in. Registration starts July 8th and the group drawing is made starting on July 15th. Let me know if you’re interested and I start the group registration processes.

Big Sur Marathon… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Sunday, Feb 17^th,  I ran the Whispering Pines 6 Hour race. I selected this race as it was a good warm-up for one of my ‘A’ races 3 weeks later, the Antelope Canyon 55K on March 9^th. It was only 4 weeks ago I ran my first 100 miler and after that I took 9 days off to recover. Then I did a a few easy runs. I would say for the last 18 months I’ve trained mainly by MAF with probably no more than a handful of speed workouts. However after my 100 miler I feel that I’ve lost some of my speed and I slow down sooner than I did previously so I decided to incorporate some faster workouts into my training. For me this is a fine line as the speed work is what usually triggers hip pain and possibly a long injury layoff. That’s why I started MAF and also following a Keto lifestyle and I think both have helped a lot. I wake up almost every day without aches and jump out of bed without any stiff muscles etc. 2 weeks before the race I trained above my MAF Heart Rate, nothing too fast but faster than I usually train and the week later I did 4 short quarter mile speed workouts, around a 5:30 pace. I also did a 14 mile training run in the soft sand as the 55K has a lot of sand in the first two thirds of the race. My hip didn’t feel to bad but maybe with all of that it set my glutes off, or is it my piriformis? Driving 5 days to Miami in my wife’s Nissan Altima with a lower profile and bucket seats also angered my glutes. One day I only ran ½ mile before I turned back as they were screaming at me. 1 week before the race a ran a marathon as a pacer, a friend of mine wanted to break her 4:32 PR and I brought her in at 4:22, with the last 4 miles being the quickest … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)