Van Orden named 2011 USA Masters Mountain Runner of the Year

Posted on December 11, 2011 by admin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 5th, 2011 St. Louis, MO
Every December, USA Track and Field holds it’s annual convention to celebrate the year gone by and to plan for the year to come. Among the celebrations are the handing out of the USA Runner of the Year awards. This year two Vermonters made the list.

After a year of stellar performances, Tim Van Orden, 43 of Bennington, Vermont was for the second year in a row named the USA Masters Mountain Runner of the Year. But the committee didn’t stop there. They also named Van Orden as the 2011 USA Masters Trail Runner of the Year. Van Orden stood on the podium in every National Championship he entered this year, winning four of them. In addition, Van Orden finished 10th at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships held in Italy in September.

Kasie Enman of Huntington, Vermont also made the list. She was named the 2011 USA Mountain Runner of the Year after an exceptional season. Enman ran away from the field to easily win the US Mountain Running Championships and then went on to be the first American woman to win the World Mountain Running Championships in Albania.

USATF holds regional mountain races throughout the country all year long, which culminate in the US Mountain Running Championships held each June in New Hampshire. The top six men and top four women at this event are invited to the World Mountain Running Championships. The USATF trail racing scene offers more opportunities for victory. They hold a US Trail Championship for four different distances; 10 Kilometers, 15 Kilometers, Half Marathon and Marathon. Van Orden has been US Masters Champion at all four of these distances.

“This is a great honor” said Van Orden. “It’s one thing to put in the hours, train hard and be rewarded with a victory. But to be recognized by your peers and the governing body of the sport. That’s something else. It’s incredibly exciting and humbling at the same time.”

Posted in In The News, Plant Powered Athletes, Race Reports, Racing, The Journey | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How to Keep Yourself Running in the Winter

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Tim VanOrden

It’s that time of year again. Yes, THAT time of year. The time when the days are short, the afternoons dark and the temperature sinks well below the “it’s a nice day for a run” mark. As I type this the radio is chammering on about a low of 10 degrees tonight… We may still have another month of Fall remaining, but here in the north country Winter makes an early appearance.

So how do you get out on these dark cold days and keep your running schedule alive and healthy? With some simple steps. How do I know they work?  Because they were created by someone that really doesn’t like the cold and who has a hard time running even when the weather is nice – ME.

Step 1: Make it a surprise. Don’t tell yourself that you’re going for a run. Simply jump right to step two without any conversation of a run in your head.

Step 2: Get dressed. This may sound silly, but I’ve found that the act of getting properly dressed for the cold makes the idea of going out into it much less frightening. Don’t consider going outside until you are fully dressed to go outside. A little brain trickery goes a long way towards getting difficult things done.

Step 3: Listen and learn. Become a sponge for information. I’ve become an audiobook junkie over the past few years. I listen to no less than 3 (educational) books a week. But I only allow myself to listen to them while running. So even though I may not want to go outside or run, I really can’t wait to get back into the book. This is a big incentive to get out there for me.

Step 4: Just walk outside… Fully dressed… With something exciting to listen to.

Step 5: Walk to the street and take a single step… and then another and another and another.

Post some comments below on how you get yourself out the door on days when you’d rather not :)

Here’s a video I made about how to dress for cold weather running to give you some tips and ideas.

Posted in Plant Powered Athletes, Running Tips, Tips & Tricks, Training, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

2011 USA Trail Series Champion

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Tim VanOrden

It’s been a long and expensive year of racing. My goal this year was to compete in all five of the U.S. Trail Running Series races, and with any luck, come in the top 5 overall. The series consists of the four U.S. Trail Championships at 10k, 15k, Half Marathon and Marathon, as well as the U.S. Mountain Running Championships. This involved a trip to Washington state, North Carolina, New Hampshire and two trips to Oregon. Needless to say it was a pretty exhausting racing season… But it all paid off brilliantly. My performances in each of the events added up to being named the 2011 USA Trail Series Champion – Not just masters, but overall!

It’s been a big year for the Running Raw Project and I look forward to an even bigger year in 2012.

Here is the official press release.

Posted in In The News, Plant Powered Athletes, Race Reports, Racing, The Journey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Thanks giving Chicago style

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Tim VanOrden

There are many things that I am thankful for. But at this moment one opportunity stands out in my mind. It was November of 2006. I was in Chicago to coach the fledgling Run Raw Team in their first raw Chicago Marathon. As far as we knew at the time, no team of raw, vegan athletes had ever been assembled to compete in an event. For us it was a momentous occurrence. We were breaking new ground. We were ushering in the dawning of a new era in sport. We were running raw. Well, I should say that THEY were running raw. I was sidelined with a knee injury and my role of coach, although gladly accepted, was not my first choice. Needless to say, I was rather blue.

The race was quite an undertaking. Our athletes would not be able to fuel at the normal race water stops, which were serving up some kind of sports goo, water, pretzels and candy. We would somehow have to be on course at several key locations with specially designed concoctions in hand to pass out to our raw heroes en route. The mixture that we tested was coconut water blended with dates, dulse and agave nectar (in hindsight, this was a horrible mixture). Late into the evening the night before the race Ariane Glazer, the wife of runner Rob Speros, myself and co Run Raw Team founder Krista Mikulski prepared these drinks as well as breakfasts and post race meals. We were like an assembly line in a raw restaurant cranking out wholesome goodness. During this prep period, Ariane, Krista and I bonded over  shared raw experiences and anecdotes. Ariane was the main organizer for the large Chicago Raw Community Thanksgiving Dinner which was going to be held the following week and she had the idea that I come and speak at the event. I had never spoken to a group of people about raw foods or anything for that matter. It was a great opportunity to share the message, but I will admit that I was very nervous. My understanding of physiology, nutrition and biochemistry were quite miniscule at that point in time, but I had a great story to share and Ari thought that it might inspire some people to change their diets.

So I stood in front of a packed room and shared from the heart… I had no script or outline… I simply talked about my experience. I’m sure my information was far from accurate, but my intentions were good. As scary as the experience was, I found new meaning for myself in that kind of sharing. I felt a value that I had not experienced before. I felt like I was home. I found my calling. Had I not been injured, I might have been in bed sleeping and missed out on that connection. Sometimes the frailty of our bodies and minds yield our greatest rewards.

A lot has changed since that fateful night. I’ve been back as the speaker at the Chicago Raw Community Thanksgiving every year since. My knowledge has increased one hundred fold and my desire to help and educate has grown along with it. For this I am grateful. My path has not been an easy one, but I cannot imagine a more rewarding experience.

It is with great sadness and gratitude that I write this blog in honor of all those amazing people in Chicago who bring this event together every year… and who helped me find my purpose and calling in life. For the first time in six years, I will not be in attendance. My investment in race travel has left me bare and it’s time to lay low… But tomorrow, my thoughts and smiles will be in Chicago :)

Here are some clips from last year’s event:

Posted in Adventures, Events, Health, Nutrition, Plant Powered Athletes, Presentations, Raw on The Road, The Journey | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

VanOrden wins 7th US Masters Title in the Marathon

Posted on November 6, 2011 by admin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ASHLAND, OREGON (November 5th, 2011)

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow could stop the competitors at the 2011 U.S. Trail Marathon Championships on Saturday. A record number of participants braved the weather and the terrain, including Bennington resident Tim Van Orden. Capping a stellar year on the trails, Van Orden, 43, raced to his seventh U.S. Masters Trail Running victory and a sixth place overall finish. Van Orden’s time of 2 hours 54 minutes and 24 seconds was over a minute ahead of the next Masters (40 and over) runner, Neil Olson from Central Point, Ore. “I’m really surprised with the win” said Van Orden. “I went for it early on and paid the price halfway. The last ten miles were pure will and adrenaline. I ran beyond my abilities today” he added.

The course, known as the ‘Lithia Loop‘, covers 26.2 miles of mountain trails and fire roads through the Siskiyou National Forest in southern Oregon. With a total elevation change of over 8,000 feet, a ten mile climb from the start, eleven miles above 6,000 feet in altitude and a steep five mile downhill to the finish makes this is one of the most difficult marathon courses in the world. In perfect conditions this course is not for the faint of heart, but the conditions were far from perfect.

What began as a light rain at the start built into a full fledged Winter storm as the runners gained in altitude. “It started snowing at mile five” said Van Orden “then it became a blizzard with howling winds and near white out conditions at mile ten. My eyes were stinging so badly from the freezing sleet and snow that I had a hard time making out the trail in front of me.” he added.

Tim VanOrden runs through the beginning of the snowstorm that engulfed runners in the 2011 U.S. Trail Marathon Championships.

Racers had to navigate through icy trails and several inches of snow for nearly half the race. But this didn’t seem to slow them down. Two-time World Trail Running Champion Max King from Bend, Ore. knocked ten minutes off of his own course record to win his third straight U.S. Trail Marathon Championship. His winning time of 2 hours 31 minutes and 58 seconds is hard to comprehend even for seasoned race veterans. “This is not a flat road race.” Said race director Hal Koerner. “Max ran a time that would win many road marathons, but he did it while running up and down mountains at high altitude on snow and ice.” He continued. King has been training hard for the upcoming 2012 Olympic Trials in the marathon where he hopes to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.

The women’s race also saw a new course record as Megan Lund-Lizotte, 29, of Basalt, Colo. ran to victory in a time of 3 hours, 3 minutes and 46 seconds. Along with King, Lund-Lizotte will also be competing in the Olympic Marathon Trials in January.

With his sixth place overall finish in the marathon, Van Orden overtook Mario Mendoza, 25, from Cambria, Calif. to become the overall winner of the 2011 USA Trail Championship Series. The series consists of the four U.S. Trail Championsips at 10 kilometers, 15 kilometers, half marathon and marathon plus the U.S. Mountain Running Championships. Van Orden has been the U.S. Masters victor in each of the events and had several top ten overall performances.

Posted in In The News, Plant Powered Athletes, Race Reports, Racing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Van Orden breaks record at Mt. Ashland Hill Climb

Posted on August 13, 2011 by admin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ASHLAND, OREGON (August 6th, 2011)

Tim Van Orden on his way to a new Masters course record in the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb.

The idyllic town of Ashland, Oregon is known for three things; the award winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival, world famous Lithia Park, and one of the best ultra-running trail scenes on the planet. Among the many race offerings to be found here is the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Run. This event boasts the second largest climb of any mountain running race in the United States. The course gains 5,700 feet in elevation (more than a vertical mile). Only the Pikes Peak Ascent in Colorado climbs higher. After starting in beautiful downtown Ashland’s Lithia Park, runners climb continuously to the summit of Mt. Ashland 13.3 miles away.

Top mountain runners from across the U.S. come out for this challenging event. This year, which marked the 34th running of the race, saw a record number of participants. Among them was 43 year old Bennington, Vermont resident Tim Van Orden. In 2010 Van Orden became the first person over the age of 40 to break two hours in this race when he set a new Masters course record in a time of 1 hour, 55 minutes, 33 seconds. “I fell in love with this race when I ran it last year,” said Van Orden. “You basically run a half marathon that climbs 5,000 feet and then you are faced with a ridiculously steep final two tenths of a mile that climbs another 700 feet. It’s like running up Mt. Washington and then running up the Empire State Building” he added. Van Orden didn’t shy away from the challenge this year as he clipped two minutes and nine seconds off of his record and finished 3rd overall, in a time of 1 hour, 53 minutes, 24 seconds.

The race was won by 29 year old Ashland resident Erik Skaggs in a time of 1 hour, 51 minutes, 54 seconds. Skaggs was the 2010 U.S. 50k Trail Running Champion and the 2009 U.S. 100k Trail Running Champion. In last year’s Mt. Ashland Hill Climb, Skaggs finished second to U.S. Mountain Running Champion Max King and had no intention of settling for silver in this years race. “We went out a little too hard, as usual” said Skaggs. “Will (Meade) was with me through the first half” Skaggs said. “I tried to run hard after that because it’s a pretty good climb and I pulled away from him” he added.

Runner-up 29 year old Will Meade, from Santa Monica, Calif. was running the race for the first time. “I had no idea what to do, so I just tried to keep Erik in sight, but he slowly pulled away at around seven miles in” said Meade. A few miles later Meade was surprised to find Van Orden running next to him. “I caught Will around mile 10,” said Van Orden who would eventually finish thirty-three seconds behind Meade. “I could see Erik and Will not too far ahead and they were slowing down. So I put in a good surge to catch up. It was probably a mistake. I ran a 5:40 mile for that section and really suffered for it.” Said Van Orden. “Will started to pull away before mile 12 and I didn’t have anything left to stay with him.” he added. Van Orden wasn’t the only one with nothing left towards the end of the race. “Half a mile before the lodge (the 12 mile point), I looked back and there was Will,” said Skaggs. “I thought, ‘Oh my God’ — I was at a low point right there. That low point lasted pretty much for the rest of the race.” he added. Skaggs was reduced to a power hike with his hands pressed down on his knees to get him through the final section. Despite fearing the worst, Skaggs finished 57 seconds Meade to seal the win.

The near 50 percent grade at the finish reduces most runners to climbing on all fours as they scale the summit. The top three were no exception. “The altitude really got to me at the end. My legs were so tired and I was gasping for air. I had to stop a few times and almost fell backwards down the mountain.” Said Van Orden. “I wasn’t certain I could make the finish line, but I looked up and saw Will only thirty feet ahead of me and he was stopped and Erik was only about seventy feet ahead and he was really struggling, so I pushed on” he added. Seventy feet on a trail that steep translates into a minute and a half gap. “The final stretch is really deceiving” said Skaggs. “I turned around and saw Will and Tim right behind me and I thought they were going to catch me, but it takes a long time to move a short distance when it’s that steep” he added.

The women’s race was not nearly as close. Two-time defending champion Stephanie Howe led the women’s field from start to finish. Her time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 40 seconds was the second fastest women’s time ever run. Howe, 27, who hails from from Bend, Ore. is a world-ranked cross-country ski racer. The women’s runner-up was Michelle Barton of Laguna Niguel, Calif., finishing in 2 hours, 22 minutes, 30 seconds.

Van Orden will be back in Ashland in early November to compete in the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon, which serves as the 2011 U.S. Trail Marathon Championships.

Posted in Events, In The News, Plant Powered Athletes, Race Reports, Racing, The Journey | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tim VanOrden’s Running Raw Times August 3rd, 2011

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Tim VanOrden

Running Raw Times Tim VanOrden’s Running Raw Times – August 3rd, 2011 A big hello to all my friends and supporters of the Running Raw Project! In This Update:

  • Only One Hill
  • The Road to Italy
  • The Woodstock Fruit Festival
  • Southeastern U.S. Tour
  • Audiobook ‘em Danno
  • The Race Report
  • The Training Log
  • Upcoming Schedule

Only One Hill:
Just before the start of the Mount Washington Road Race, the race director informs the anxious crowd that there is nothing to fear, “there is only one hill.” That lone ‘hill’ just happens to be the tallest mountain in the northeast and stands at 6,288 feet high. But nonetheless, it is just one hill. Put your head down, shift into low gear and get your grind on. As painful as it may be, you know what you are in for from start to finish. There are no surprises.

In life however, it’s not so simple. We are rarely presented with only one hill and one way to reach the top. Life shows up like a never ending mountain range that we must navigate in order to reach even the most basic goals. If you aspire to bigger things, you will be met with even bigger deterrents. The law of entropy mandates that we find ourselves in difficult situations.

Halfway through this year’s Mount Washington Road Race, I had an epiphany – We FIND ourselves in difficult situations… If we aren’t afraid to look within. Who you are and how you act when the going gets tough, is who you really are… at your core. If you lack purpose and direction, life’s trials and tribulations will seem random, unfair and never your fault. But if you get really quiet and take a good hard look, you will find something amazing – There IS only one hill… and that hill is YOU.

As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither is a strong character. Contrary to what you might think, it is built in a single moment. It is built in a single step up the hill called ‘you’. The more steps you take up that hill, the closer you will be to your higher self.

So go find yourself in a difficult situation. Put your gaze inward, your head down and focus on the step right in front of you. Again and again and again. You’ll be at the top before you know it… and the view is spectacular!

If you want to know more about how to get to the top of YOU, check out my latest audiobook “Turbo Charge Your Life!”

The Road To Italy – The World Masters Mountain Running Championships:
On September 17th, in the beautiful mountain town of Paluzza, Italy, the best Masters mountain runners on the planet will be coming together to compete in the World Masters Mountain Running Championships. I hope to be among them. After winning the U.S. Masters Mountain Running Championships in June, my racing confidence is at an all time high. I’m in the best shape of my life and I’m ready to represent the United States, a plant based diet and Running Raw on the world stage.

This opportunity is going to require some serious fundraising. I released my latest audiobook “Turbo Charge Your Life!” a few days ago in hopes of raising some money for the trip. But I’m also going to need your help to pull this off. Ideas?

One possibility is to set up a few talks in the United Kingdom while I’m across ‘the pond’. It would be a great opportunity to spread the word about the power of a plant based diet and help cover some of the costs of the trip. If you know any London (or other U.K.) locations, groups, or organizers that might be willing to support my efforts, let me know as soon as possible, so that we can make this trip a reality… and make a difference.

The Woodstock Fruit Festival:
Got fruit? If not, you might want to come on over to the fabled town of Woodstock, NY and get your fruit on at the Woodstock Fruit Festival. Michael Arnstein (another successful raw athlete) and his wife Victoria had the idea to bring together fruit lovers from all over the world to celebrate, activate, and contemplate in an all you can eat fruit-filled week of bliss. I’ll be giving 3 talks during the week and leading runs every day. There are going to be a lot of other great speakers, events and great connections to be made. If you are free during the week of August 18th – 25th, come on down. We are going to have a blast!

Southeastern US Speaking Tour:
I’ll be driving down to North Carolina for the US 10k Trail Championships on August 25th and I’m booking talks in Atlanta, Charlotte, Asheville, Richmond, DC and Philadelphia for the return trip. The dates are August 25th – September 1st. If you would like me to speak to your group, or if you now a local contact who could help bring an event together in PA, VA, NC or GA contact me today - events@runningraw.com

Audiobook ‘em Danno:
While I was setting up my online store to carry my newest audiobook, “Turbo Charge Your Life!“, I stumbled across the download history of my first audiobook “Diet & Peak Performance“. My jaw dropped when I saw that my book had been downloaded over 5,000 times! I was at the same time filled with joy and despair. Joy that so many people were listening to my information and what that might mean for their lives, and despair that only 41 of them actually paid for the audiobook. Despite getting great positive feedback and numerous testimonials, I had thought the book was a flop.

Now a year later, I’ve put hundreds of additional hours into researching, testing and creating my latest work “Turbo Charge Your Life!”, hoping that it would have a bigger impact. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned during this time is that we only place real, enduring value on the things that we’ve had to earn. I keep my prices low so that anyone can afford (earn) what I have to offer. You can’t pirate your way to a better life… at least not without stepping on someone else to get there.

Here is my upcoming schedule:

The Race Report:

• US 15K Trail Running Championships – Spokane, WA
The first of my efforts in 2011 to win another US Masters Championship hit pay dirt, as I cruised to my 4th US Masters title and finished 7th overall.

• New England Trail Running Championships – Northfield, MA
A field of athletes as tough and as deep as any US championship, duked it out on Northfield Mountain in Massachusetts to claim top New England honors. I kept my winning streak alive as I won the New England Masters Trail Running title.

• US Half Marathon Trail Running Championships – Bend, OR
I wasn’t sure if I was ready to excel in a half marathon yet, so I ran conservatively and found myself crossing the line in a very comfortable 5th place overall finish and won my 5th US Masters Championship.

• Mount Washington Road Race – Gorham, NH
The mother (in-law) of all mountain races. It strikes fear in all who attempt run it’s never-ending grade. In three previous attempts on this mountain, I have been laid to waste. This year, in the best shape of my life, I hoped to strike back. A grueling duel of body, mind and mountain ensued and I cleft six minutes off of my PR. Despite a significant improvement, I’ve come to the conclusion that I will never excel at this race. The uphill grind is not my strength and I accept that… But I’ll be back next year to try and prove myself wrong.

• US Mountain Running Championships – North Conway, NH
I’m a trail runner. Put me on ‘technical’ terrain and I excel. Put me on a long vertical grind and I’m decent at best. So you can imagine my surprise when I finished 15th overall and won my 6th US Masters Championship at the US Mountain Running Championships. It was my closest Masters victory yet, with Todd Callaghan of Beverly, MA pushing me the entire race. It wasn’t until the last quarter mile that I was able to open a small gap on him. The streak continues.

• Loon Mountain Race
When I first started the Running Raw Project in early 2006, my first goal was to make the US Mountain Running Team. The mountainous terrain that I was training on in California, combined with my mountain racing success there lead me to believe I was good enough to make the team. So I flew back to New England to compete in a US Team Qualifier at Loon Mountain. Two miles into the race I realized two things: 1) that I wasn’t even CLOSE to being good enough to make the team, and 2) REAL mountain runners live in New England and not California. Now five years later I was facing the monstrously steep slopes of Loon Mountain Ski Area yet again. This time in considerably better shape. The end result – a new PR and a even deeper respect for New England mountain goats, as my compadres handed me the whooping of a lifetime.

• Ascutney Mountain Challenge
The sixth and final race in the New England Mountain Running Series, is arguably the most difficult. An unrelenting paved road that climbs 2,300 vertical feet at a 13 to 18% grade over 3.6 miles tests the mental and physical limits of those willing to take on the challenge. Going in to the race I was in 2nd place overall in the series and on top of the Masters division, but only by a small margin. I needed a phenomenal race against some truly phenomenal athletes. In the end, I dueled to the line for 2nd place and came up short by only one second – good enough to seal my silver medal in the series and win my first New England Mountain Running Series Masters title.

• New England Mountain Racing Series
The toughest and most popular mountain running circuit in the US has come to its conclusion for 2011. Hundreds of amazing, talented and hard as nails northeasterners came out to test themselves on New England’s humble peaks. I completed all six races in the series, earning the title of “Mountain Goat” and took second overall in the final rankings, and first in the Masters. For those of you that live in the northeast, I highly recommend that you come out next year and meet some extraordinary people and challenge yourself like never before.

All results can be found HERE

The Training Log:
I must admit that it has been a real challenge to keep up the mileage and daily training. Three hours of training can dominate five to eight hours of the day. There is the period of time that it takes me to get out the door (never an easy process). The driving to and from trailheads. The time spent fueling pre and post workout. The naps. The tired, wasted, unproductive feeling after a long workout. The time it takes to motivate for workout number 2 or 3. Icing. Foam rolling. Then there is the training time itself. It’s become a nearly full time job, and it’s significantly lowered my level of productivity in other areas of my life. But I must strike while the iron is hot. Some things will need to be sacrificed so that I can see how far this rabbit hole goes. Hopefully, in the end, all the victories will have somehow made a difference, and changed the way that people think about diet, health and human performance.

Here’s my latest TRAINING DATA

Paying it Back and Forward:
Please support my sponsors Larabar, Dion Snowshoes, Nutiva, Garmin, and West Coast Labels.

Your Support: Your donations help more than you can imagine. Even very small contributions help to pay for event registrations, travel, etc. Thank you in advance for your support. Your generosity allows me to do what I do and hopefully touch lives in the process. You can make your donation through http://paypal.com to the address donate@runningraw.com.

In Conclusion:
If you’re excited about Running Raw and would like to be a part of the team, please get in touch. I’m always looking for new contributors, technical help, sponsorship and enthusiastic athletes to help make this project all it can be. Please pass this newsletter along to anyone that you think might be interested in this journey. If you have any suggestions on how to make runningraw.com better, please pass them along.

With love and gratitude

Tim VanOrden

Posted in Commentary, Events, Newsletters, Plant Powered Athletes, Presentations, Race Reports, Racing, Running Tips, The Journey, Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Running Raw Update 7/29/11 – New Audiobook Released!

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Tim VanOrden

A big hello to all my friends and supporters of the Running Raw Project!

After 2 months of editing and compiling the best segments of my most recent lecture tour “Turbo Charge Your Life!” I am happy to announce that I have finally released my second audiobook. It is packed with the latest tools and information that I have used to help me in achieving my most recent successes. I hope you find value in it as well.

Here are the details:

Turbo Charge Your Life! May 17th, 2011

Topics Covered:
• Why Diets Fail
• How To Get Started
• How To Overcome Any Obstacle
• Common Dietary Misconceptions
• Meeting Your Nutritional Needs
• Fueling Your Body & Mind
• How To Succeed on a Raw Diet

Have you tried a diet and failed? Does the thought of eating a vegan or raw diet fill you with thoughts of deprivation and anxiety? Are you having a hard time taking the first step? Do you know what to do, but you just can’t get yourself to do it? Are you sick and tired of all the contradictory dietary information out there?

This audiobook grew out of my frustration with the endless stream of diet books, self help books and media misinformation that we are bombarded with on a regular basis. The information contained in this audiobook comes from years of research, practical application and the creation of tools that have helped me achieve success in my own life.

If you know who you want to be but you don’t know how to get there, this audiobook is for you.

Length: 2 Hours 19 Minutes

** This book is NOT a collection of MP3′s. It is an m4b audiobook file.

Click this link to purchase Turbo Charge Your Life!

All my best
Tim VanOrden

Posted in Diet Tips, Health, Newsletters, Nutrition, Plant Powered Athletes, Presentations, Recipes, The Journey, Tips & Tricks, Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Week in Review: July 4th – 10th, 2011

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Tim VanOrden

On the training front, this week was ‘scheduled’ as a base builder. The plan was to get my mileage back into the 90′s and then 100′s the following week in preparation for the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb on August 6th. But pride always has a funny way of sneaking in and destroying your well thought out plans. The butt whooping that I received at Loon Mountain last week, got me to thinking. In spite of the fact that I’ve set new PR’s (Personal Records) in all of the mountain races I’ve done this season (including Loon), I was unsettled by how much my usual cohorts had beaten me by. Considering that the final race in the New England Mountain Running Series, the Ascutney Mountain Run, is an all uphill grind, I feared that it could prove to be equally humbling. After tallying the results of the first five races in the series, I was standing in second place overall and top Master and I was not about to relinquish that position… Something had to be done.

Due to emotional exhaustion (training, home organization projects and trying to create talks in OR and CO in early August), I decided not to push it and took Monday off. As soon as I made that decision, the pressure was off. I decided to give myself an easy week, emotionally and physically. I hoped that this reduced load might give me some extra steam at Ascutney.

To make up for some of the missing miles and to build up my leg strength (which was nowhere in sight at Loon) I decided to incorporate more Upright rower into my routine. These workouts leave my quads feeling like jelly and they give me an opportunity to catch up on popular culture and watch movies as I churn away. As the Summer progresses, I hope to get at least 5 hours a week on the upright rower.

After taking a pretty easy day on Saturday and getting a few nights of good sleep, I was feeling pretty sprightly during my warmup before the race. It’s an interesting pre-race scene at Ascutney as lines of people simultaneously wait amongst the tall white pines to register, to use the porto-potties, and to get their coveted “Mountain Goat” t-shirt (athletes that complete all 6 mountain races in the series are deemed ‘mountain goats’ and get a great t-shirt and a lottery bypass at the following year’s Mount Washington Road Race). You are surrounded by scores of people that you know… ‘intimately’. People that you have shared pain, defeat and triumph with. People that have seen you at your worst, and seen you at your best. People that you will miss when it’s all said and done. Now on this final day of the series, they are all gathered round to share stories, laugh, compare scars, support one another, and run together one last time in the most mentally challenging of all the New England mountain races, the Ascutney Mountain Run.

3.6 miles, 2,300 feet of elevation gain, and an average grade of 13% with long sections upwards of 18%. This race hurts from start to finish. It is a test of mental will more than a test of fitness. The pain nags at you like a stealth mosquito flying around your face as you try to sleep while camping. It’s buzzing growing ever louder and more annoying the more you try to ignore it. It fills your mind and becomes your sole focus. Translate that experience into extreme physical discomfort and you have the race up Ascutney Mountain.

At the gun, Jim Johnson and Patrick Ard took it out hard. I settled into a large chase group that included Andy McCaron (whom I’ve never beaten), Tim Mahoney, Ross Krause, Todd Callaghan (Ross and Todd crushed me at Loon), Tom Brown, Ray Webster, Ryan Aschbrenner, and Master monster Duncan Douglas (two time Olympian and 5 time winner of the Whiteface Mountain Road Race, who finished 2nd at the Newton’s Revenge bike race up Mount Washington just the day before Ascutney). My plan of going out comfortably and picking it up in the second half came to an abrupt halt as Ross Krause surged and the chase pack responded. If Ross and Todd issued me an intense beating again, I’d slide into 4th in the series and also lose my Masters title. I put on my game face and answered their surge. Duncan Douglas, knowing that I was also a master would have none of this and he pushed ahead of me. For the first mile the lead of the chase pack changed more than a dozen times as we all pushed to stay in contention. Everyone in the group was suffering because of it. We were all in over our heads and two-thirds of the race still lie in wait. Up ahead of us, Jim Johnson and Patrick Ard were suffering the same fate. Jim was still in the lead, but we were gaining on him and Patrick was fading fast.

I consider myself to be a pretty passive, laid back, considerate person. But there are moments where I become consumed with a predatory instinct. Seeing Patrick losing steam like a wounded gazelle in front of me flipped the switch. Despite my better judgement, I ramped it up and began to run him down. The chase pack did not respond and I quickly opened up a gap on them. Within a few hundred meters I was passing Patrick and heard him say “I’ve got nothing. Go get JJ”. As we neared 2 miles Jim was only about 15 seconds ahead, but I was hurting badly and decided to back off a bit and try and hold onto second. Jim quickly pulled away. I couldn’t hear any footfalls behind me, and I hoped the chase group was suffering just as much as me and wouldn’t try to reel me in. My mind swam with negative thoughts as the pain ground itself into every neuron of my brain. The voice of “Quit!” was screaming inside my head as mile 2 went on for what seemed like forever. Suddenly, I was snapped back into the outside world by the sound of labored breathing and peppy footfalls. Someone was coming up fast. Moments later, Ross Krause was by my side and saying “keep it up TiVO”, then he quickly surged ahead. The voice of defeat rang throughout and part of me just wanted to stand still and let the other cheetahs in pursuit have their way with me. Fortunately another voice chimed in, “Try to stay with him… Just for a little bit… See if you can do it”. It didn’t tell me that I had to beat him, which in my current state seemed like a ridiculous notion, it just said “Try to stay with him… Just for a little bit”. Although I was in no mood to increase the amount of pain I was in, it was just for a little bit… It was just a little test. So I dug in and caught back up. I could see he was surprised that I was now running at his side and this took a little bit of the pain away. He had hoped to break my spirits with a quick surge past me (a common racing strategy) but here I was, and he was paying for the extra burst he had put forward. We ran together through the 3 mile mark, then he surged again. I answered. Running next to him allowed me to focus on his breathing and his footfalls rather than my own. I made a game of trying to match his footfalls exactly and trying to relax my breathing so that I was taking fewer and deeper breaths than he was per stride. This would last a few moments before the building nausea and searing pain would again take over my thoughts. I was running at my limit… perhaps a bit beyond it.

The final quarter mile to the finish is brutally steep and seeing it wind out before you squashes any ideas you might have about a finishing kick… it’s the mountain that does the kicking. Apparently Ross didn’t get the memo. With about 200 meters remaining he launched ahead. I was already at the vomit threshold and was afraid that any increase in speed would have disastrous results. Ross opened a 20 foot gap. I held on, hoping that there was no one closing on me. As we rounded the last bend I could see the finish line some 80 feet away and I decided that I was not going to go down that easily. With every bit of grit I could muster I tried to run Ross down. As he crossed the line to finish 2nd, I was only two feet behind him. I’ve never been more proud of coming in third.

So ends another Summer of mountain racing in New England. The final standings for the series saw Jim Johnson take his second overall win. I had my best placement ever, holding on to my 2nd place overall and Masters win. Todd Callaghan and Ross were third and fourth, just a few points back.

Following the race, a good 40 of us mountain goats headed down to a crystal clear swimming hole in a stream nearby for a good soak, some good food, and a sharing of war stories about the mountains that do their very best to break our spirits… but never succeed.

  • Total Training Time – 13:15:53
  • Total Running Time – 11:36:53
  • Total Running Miles – 75.2
  • Total Elevation Gain – 11,063 ft

Monday July 4th - 00:00:00

  1. REST – Emotionally beat.

Tuesday July 5th - 02:53:58

  1. Trails – Bennington, VT – 11.36 miles, 1:58:41
  2. Roads – Bennington, VT – 5.2 miles, 40:17
  3. Upright Rower – 15:00

Wednesday July 6th - 01:10:45

  1. Roads – Bennington, VT – 9 miles, 1:10:45

Thursday July 7th - 03:08:13

  1. Upright Rower – 30:00
  2. Trails – Bennington, VT – 10 miles, 1:38:01
  3. Roads – Bennington, VT – 5.1 miles, 40:12
  4. Upright Rower – 20:00

Friday July 8th - 01:45:05

  1. Upright Rower – 15:00
  2. Roads – Bennington, VT – 10.3 miles, 1:30:05

Saturday July 9th - 00:41:57

  1. Roads – Bennington, VT – 5 miles, 41:57

Sunday July 10th - 03:35:45

  1. Race Warmup – Brownsville, VT – 1.36 miles, 13:27
  2. Mount Ascutney Challenge – 3.55 miles, 31:31
  3. Race Warmdown – Brownsville, VT – 5 miles, 51:44
  4. Mount Ascutney #2 – Brownsville, VT – 9.1 miles, 1:39:03
  5. Upright Rower – 20:00

Weekly, Monthly and Yearly training totals can be found at http://runningraw.com/training.html

Posted in Plant Powered Athletes, Race Reports, Racing, Running Tips, The Journey, Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Week In Review: June 27th – July 3rd, 2011

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Tim VanOrden

The best laid plans of mice and men… This week my manly plans had me feeling like a mouse. A mouse that played chicken with the cat…. and lost. This was all thanks to the Cranmore Hill Climb, which served as the U.S. Mountain Running Championships this past Sunday the 26th. It’s not the hill climb part that gets you though. It’s the part of the race they DON’T mention in the title – the Hill De-climb. What goes up, must come down and usually at a much, much, much faster speed. The three loops of the race, each with their free-fall speed descents tore my quads to shreds. I did my usual ten miles post race and felt fine on Monday. But as is typical with races including long, steep downhills, on Tuesday (2 days post race), I had a hard time walking. For some reason, the real trauma to the legs does not show up right away.

Even though I picked up my mileage again on Wednesday, I felt flat throughout the week. The inclusion of upright rowing machine into my routine again may have played a part in that as well, as it really taxes my quads and puffs them up like biking.

I didn’t expect much going into the Loon Mountain Race, but I’ve felt flat before and performed really well. There were a lot of good guys in the race and I decided to let the rabbits go in the beginning and see how my legs felt. The climbs at Loon seem endless and if you go too hard in the beginning, you’ll be absolutely laid to waste when you hit the final climb up the double black diamond “Upper Walking Boss” ski trail. This section is half a mile long and climbs over 800 feet. The average grade is 35% with long sections at a 45% slope. This final climb breaks the best mountain runners out there.

Although I felt good for the first 2 miles of climbing, by mile 3 my legs were done. I considered dropping out of the race as my pace slowed considerably and my competition quickly pulled away. I knew I still had the worst part of the race ahead of me and if I was toast here, it would only get worse. But then a friendly female voice called out from behind “keep it up Tim! Stay with me!”. I turned to see the blond curls of 2011 runaway U.S. Mountain Champion Kasie Enman en route to shatter the Loon women’s course record. Digging deep, I matched her short, quick strides. But that did not last. She gapped me by 10 seconds at the first summit at 4 miles. I was determined to catch her on the long steep downhill section that brought us to the base of North Peak. My legs were pounded so hard by the descent that my kidneys and other organs started to hurt. When I finally caught her at the base of Upper Walking Boss I was ready to vomit… and the toughest, steepest hill climb in the Northeast was now staring me straight in the face. I looked up and saw Brandon Newbould leading Jim Johnson only 150 meters ahead of us, and Ross Krause and Todd Callaghan (who I’d been running with for the first few miles), now about 100 meters ahead. This isn’t a lot of distance, but on a hill this steep it can take several minutes to cover that ground. Kacie’s short, piston-like steps were impressive, she churned up the hill faster than any of the lead guys in front of her, as the gap became progressively smaller as we climbed. I held on for dear life.

Finding another gear on the Upper Walking Boss

The sight of the leaders walking and laboring against the climb gave me hope. I found another gear and pushed into the pain trying desperately to stay with Kasie. The positions in front of us changed as Jim Johnson succumbed to the hill and Ross Krause made a surge to nip on Brandon Newbould’s heels.

It took well over 10 minutes to climb that half mile straight up. Kasie was still running strong and seemed unphased. We hit the summit at 5 miles and she was 15 seconds up on me. She uncorked her Olympic Trials marathon speed and accelerated across the top. I couldn’t keep up. My legs were rubber bands. To add insult to injury, we now had to drop 500 feet on a very steep 30% slope for 3 tenths of a mile and then run up a  100 vertical foot hill at a 30% grade to the finish. The climb took the strength needed to break on the downhill out of my legs, so I ran with unintentional reckless abandon. At one point, I caught air off of a water bar and came down completely out of control well in excess of 20 mph. I waiting for the rocks and hard ground to abruptly meet with my face and shoulders. But somehow it did not happen. The flow kept me upright and moving forward. I was gaining on Kasie, but really had no control of my running at this point. I was simply on a ride that I couldn’t get off.

Moments later we were making the final climb, which would stand out as impossibly steep and difficult in ANY other race, but after what we had just been through, it did not even register. Kasie finished 10 seconds ahead of me and set a new women’s standard on the course that may never be beaten – unless she comes back to beat it next year. I didn’t even bother to look at my time when I crossed the line. In my mind, I had a terrible race. I had been defeated. It wasn’t until several hours later at the awards ceremony that I realized that I had beaten my best time at Loon and set a new personal record. It just goes to show you that sometimes in life when we think things are going to hell and we want to quit, if we just keep going, we might actually discover that things were always far better than we had imagined them to be.

Next week: Back off the mileage a bit. Increase upright rower training. Start Tabata leg press regimen again.

  • Total Training Time – 15:00:03
  • Total Running Time – 13:58:0
  • Total Running Miles – 82
  • Total Elevation Gain – 11,610 ft

Monday June 27th - 01:22:37

  1. Rec Path – Stowe, VT – 3.1 miles, 25:02
  2. Roads – Stowe, VT – 7.2 miles, 57:35

Tuesday June 28th - 00:00:00

  1. REST – Beat up from Cranmore!

Wednesday June 29th - 03:04:13

  1. Roads – Bennington, VT - 11.6 miles, 1:34:58
  2. Upright Rower – 22:00
  3. Roads – Bennington, VT 5.7 miles, 46:15
  4. Upright Rower – 20:00

Thursday June 30th - 03:20:26

  1. Trails – Bennington, VT – 9.7 miles, 1:43:29
  2. Upright Rower – 20:00
  3. Roads – Bennington, VT – 5 miles, 38:48
  4. Trails – North Bennington, VT – 4 miles, 38:09

Friday July 1st - 02:01:52

  1. Trails – Williamstown, MA – 8.9 miles, 1:27:43
  2. Roads – Bennington, VT – 4.3 miles, 34:09

Saturday July 2nd - 02:22:00

  1. Trails (hike) – Lincoln, NH – 5.7 miles, 2:22:00

Sunday July 3rd - 02:47:44

  1. Loon Mountain Race, NH – 5.7 miles, 51:07
  2. Warmdown – 2.3 miles, 26:35
  3. Trails – Lincoln, NH – 6 miles, 57:44
  4. Trails – Manchester, VT – 3.3 miles, 34:18

Weekly, Monthly and Yearly training totals can be found at http://runningraw.com/training.html

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Posted in Diet Tips, Plant Powered Athletes, Race Reports, Racing, Running Tips, The Journey, Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments