Free crap, compliments of Jason Robillard and the BRU!

Few people in this world are aware that you can run without shoes on your feet. Even fewer are aware of the existence of a while underground cult community dedicated entirely to running barefoot. An even smaller population realize that there are entire websites, discussion forums, and even universities dedicated entirely to barefoot running!

Yes, you read that right, universities. Well, more like university, singular, since theres only one in existence to my knowledge. That would be the Barefoot Running University or the BRU for short.

Who would dream up such a thing? Who would dedicate the majority of their spare time thats not spent training to run 100 mile ultra marathons in front of a computer building an all encompassing website dedicated to further educating the population of the greatness of barefoot running?

Jason Robillard, that's who!



Jason has done more to bring barefoot and minimalist running into the lime light than any other individual, baring Christopher Mcdougall. Jason has worked hand in hand with minimalist companies, such as Merrell, to create better designed minimalist shoes that will meet the expectations of the minimalist and barefoot running camps.

So what does all of this important people stuff have to do with little ole unimportant Chaser Williams? Nothing really.

Since Jason has made such a name for himself in the minimalist running world, shoe companies respect his opinion and therefore want him to demo and review their products. So Jason always has an influx of minimalist shoes sitting around, and often times will give some away in order to clear up room. This is where I come in. Jason had mentioned over on the [BRS www.barefootrunners.org] that he had just reviewed some of the brand new New Balance Minimus Trail MT110s, and was looking to give them away. We wear the same size shoe, and I'll need something with a little more protection for some of the ultras I have planned to do later in the year. So I called dibbs on these quicker than a fat kid calls dibbs on the last slice of pizza. I also told Jason to throw in as much free crap as he wanted, and even suggested a few things such as; other shoes, shirts, and maybe even an autographed topless poster of himself...

What I got sitting on my front porch yesterday evening wasnt anything like what I was expecting. I should have known that something interesting was in store from the label on the box...



AWESOME!!! Does this mean I get put on BRU payroll?

So, as to be expected, the shoes were in the box. So this is what I was expecting to get from Jason...



But this is what I got...



Pretty sweet huh? Heres what all was included in the box;

1 - pair of New Balance Minimus Trail MT110s
1 - long sleeve tech shirt (large)
1 - Merrell sweater type running shirt (large)
1 - sleeveless tech shirt (large)
1 - short sleeve Barefoot Running University shirt (medium)
1 - Merrell head wear thingy (orange thing pictured below)
4 - Sports wax brand chap stick (they don't appear to be used)
6 - Barefoot Running University stickers
1 - cherry lime flavored GU
4 - pomegranate blueberry flavored GUs
24 - Effervescent denture cleanser tablets
4 - alcohol wipes
1 - pack of Nutrilite endurance cubes
2 - packs of Zombie Runner ginger energy chews
1 - pack of Hammer brand recoverite strawberry flavored recovery drink powder
1 - Bandaid brand bandaid
1 - Red bull energy shot
1 - 1 ounce baggy of chia seeds
1 - yellow sharpie
3 - copies of "The Barefoot Running Book" by none other than Jason Robillard himself!

Not too bad! And to top it off, one of the books even had a personalized, hand written message just to me!



Incase your blind and can't read what he wrote cause it isn't in braille, it says...

"Chase, keep lowering the bar in the forums, I need all the help I can get! -J.R."

I find this message to be very inspirational, and I know that when I'm at mile 35 of this upcoming 50 mile race, I'll be able to think back on this personalized message from one of my running idols and know that I've got the ability to.... Ummm.... Hell, I guess I'm just offensive!

Oh, heres a pic of me wearing the Merrell head wear thingy the best way I could figure out..



Thanks for unloading some valuable ultra running gear on me! If your every in Southeast Texas and need your dentures cleaned, but are out of denture cleanser, just hit me up and I'll have your back!

In closing, I would like to use this situation as a perfect example that even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then.

posted from Bloggeroid

Gluttony....?

Well, so much for losing weight...

Were spending the week at Disney World for a family vacation (our first one), and we decided to get the "Meal Plan" plan (?). This means that while staying on the resort, Saratoga Springs in the Tree House Villas, most of our meals will be paid for. It works based off a point system that is far too advanced for my most miniscule of brains to begin to comprehend... Luckily my wife is of a race of very highly sophisticated beings and understands everything except for how the speeds on a multi speed bicycle work. So she has been coordinating everything for the family. Your awesome wife! Much love!

But back to the whole reason for this post. GLUTTONY!!!

Much like everyone else in the world, I had planned on loosing weight this year. But unlike everyone else I knew that I would be coming to Disney World and gorging my fat ass on a straight carb and junk food diet untill I finally started frothing at the mouth in a sugar induced coma. So I decided it would be best/smartest to wait until after Disney to start rating healthy and attempting to loose weight. Makes sense, right?

I'm glad I did too! I've been eating terrible things that would probablly result in a beating from any one with diabetes, and a slap in the face from Dr Maffetone...

Just today for example I've consumed; 3 little debbie Dunkin Sticks, 2 Honey Buns, and a large pretzel stick covered in chocolate and Reeces Pieces. That was just brekky... Lunch was a large pizza from Pizza Planet (yes, from Toy Story), a salad, a huge cupcake covered in chocolate mousse and crushed Oreos, and a chocolate chip cookie. Dinner was a half pound pineapple and bacon burger with fries and shrimp chevichi for an appetizer. That was followed by a "KITCHEN SINK desert, which is literally a kitchen sink full of every flavor of ice cream and topping that the resturant carries. It was divided between 4 adults and 3 children, I ate 6 bowls worth, and there was still a shit ton left over...

Heres pics for reference...







And yes, that hot mess in the background is my lovely daughter. She may look like her momma (thank God!!!), but she eats like her daddy.

And heres my clone... Errr... Son looking like a stud wearing his 3d glasses at the Star Wars 4d experience /ride thingy...



This little smooth operator also snuck in a kiss on Cinderella before having our "Meet the Princesses" dinner last night. Obviously he got his charm, and his looks, from his father. Thats right, I said charm! How else do you think I scored such a hottie for a wife???.

So to summarize, I think Disney really is a magical place. My money disappears and fat appears! Both at the same unbelievable speed!

posted from Bloggeroid

New Rocky Racoon plan...

FINISH!!!

Between being injured, switching jobs, and now getting a sinus infection it doesn't seem that I am going to be any where near as prepared as I wanted to be going into Rocky Raccoon.

Unfortunately, a 50 mile race isn't just a simple walk in the park. I can't bull shit my way to the finish line like I could in a 5k or half marathon, its going to be a real test of what I'm made of mentally. Where I could normally go into something like this with the physical fitness capable of pulling it off, now I'm not so sure that will be the case...

I had wanted to get in a good run of over 35 miles at least once, with several back to back 20's and a few back to back 25's, but that didn't happen... Instead I got in a long run of 21 miles (on trails) and one set of back to back 20's.

So my new plan is to run / walk with my heart rate under 145 so that I'm running off my fat stores for fuel. Then, if I can, pick it up for the last 10~15 miles.

I'm predicting that this will put me finishing around the 10 hour mark for a finishing time. Before my injury I was hoping for around an 8~8.5 hour finish time, but I don't see that happening now!

I honestly don't know what to expect, but I hope this works! I think three key will be to remember to NOT get in a hurry, and just keep moving forward....

posted from Bloggeroid

T minus 28 days...

....and I'm nowhere near ready. This damn injury set me WAY back in my training. Where I should have ran a long run of 40ish miles last weekend, I did nothing. Where I should be averaging 50~60 miles per week for the past 3 weeks and starting my taper in 2 weeks, I've averaged crazy numbers. One week was 48, 2 weeks were under 5. I was hoping to knock out a 30~35 mile weekend to hopefully catch up, but sure to a transition at work I'll be sitting on my fat ass in a training class....

My goal / plan for this weekend is to run 5 or 6 tomorrow morning, then 7 or 8 after I get home. Then on Sunday I might skip class and try for a good long run. I've already taken this class once before, and was using this class just as a refresher sort of thing.

I'm starting to freak out a little bit... I'll feel better if I can get some quality mileage in next week, then a few miles while were at Disney World the week after. My leg is feeling a whole lot better, and I still feel confident that I can cover 50 miles before they close the course (30 something hours, lol), I just think any time goal is out the window.

But who knows, maybe I need the rest and anxiety right now? They say everything happens for a reason... Right?

posted from Bloggeroid

Book Review, "And Then The Vulture Eats You"

Just finished reading "And Then The Vulture Eats You" by.... Damn, I can't remember who wrote, errrr.... Compiled it. Oh, OK, it was edited by John L. Parker Jr who was also the author the last story in the book.



Its a book of several short stories / race reports, mainly for ultra running events. I think theres 8 stories all together, all of them being very good and entertaining reads.

The stories range from multi day competitions where the aged returning champ tries with everything he has to defend his title and has to cut it short due to over doing it, to a group of guys running across their home state, to a washed up elite marathoner trying to get it back by running one of the hardest ultra marathons there are (Western States 100) and giving up too soon. Come to think about it, I don't think any of the authors of these stories actually won their races, but in their failures (if you wanna call their amazing feats failures...) come away with very good lessons.

As far as running books go, I would rate this one a 9 out of 10. It would be a solid 10 out of 10, but just as soon as the stories started getting good, they were over....

posted from Bloggeroid

2012, Welcome!

Well, its officially 2012. Time for everyone to make new year resolutions. Halfway through 2011 I had decided to shoot for 1,018 miles ran. Come mid November I was set to blow that out of the water, then injury set in and the remainder of the years running was a struggle at best.

I finished with 954.32 total miles ran in 2011. If it hadnt have been for my injury I think I would have gotten close to 1,200 total. Oh well! For my first full year of runing since high school (which was 10 years and 40 pounds ago) I wont complain....

Heres my break down by week...

Week 1 - 10.4 only ran once, two day week....
Week 2 - 5.25 miles. Suffering from dropped cuboid from running in huaraches.
Week 3 - 0. 00 dropped cuboid...
Week 4 - 11.67
Week 5 - 20.54
Week 6 - 7.39
Week 7 - 21.33
Week 8 - 15.34 Ran my first ever half marathon!!! It was my first race since high school, my first half marathon, and my first bare foot race. The Livestrong Austin half marathon. My finishing time was 1:57:36
Which beat my goal of 2:00:00.
Week 9 - 13
Week 10 - 14.76
Week 11 - 18.14 Ran my second race, The Gusher half marathon, finishing in 1:51:38.
Week 12 - 13.45
Week 13 - 18.99 Ran my third half marathon, the Hermann Memorial Sugarland half marathon in 1:42:39
Week 14 - 10.13
Week 15 - 15.37
Week 16 - 6.27 my first 5k, ran in my VFFs in 20:43 and stepped on a rock with my right foot, causing a bad rock bruise and eventually leading to seismoiditis.... Damn shoes.....
Week 17 - 30
Week 18 - 11.02 competed in a 3.5 mile mud run and took second.
Week 19 - 20.57 did my first sprint tri in 69:02. Not bad for a runner that doesn't swim or bike....
Week 20 - 26.08
Week 21 - 15.17
Week 22 - 2.13 suffering from a sinus infection.
Week 23 - 3.18 still down with sinus issues...
Week 24 - 31.15
Week 25 - 19.42
Week 26 - 14.37
Week 27 - 28.38
Week 28 - 6 down with another sinus infection.....
Week 29 - 24.12
Week 30 - 29.76
Week 31 - 2.5
Week 32 - 17.53
Week 33 - 13.23 4th, and final half marathon of the year, The Hottest Half. Worst race ever, very disappointing to say the least...
Week 34 - 6.39
Week 35 - 23.02 started using the Maffetone method, running at an average pace of 14:00.
Week 36 - 21.87
Week 37 - 34.73
Week 38 - 23.24
Week 39 - 13.01
Week 40 - 41.49 ran a distance pr at 26.23 miles and felt great the whole time!!!
Week 41 - 22.8
Week 42 - 17.52
Week 43 - 28.22
Week 44 - 50.68 ran 2 back to back 15 milers on the weekend, this is where the seismoiditis finally started to catch up with me...
Week 45 - 35.98
Week 46 - 34.44
Week 47 - 44.28 ran 2 back to back 20 milers and felt great the whole time! Unfortunately the seismoiditis caught up in a big way....
Week 48 - 0.00 miles. My right foot has gone completely numb due to an alteration in my gait as a result of the seismoiditis. Im at 882.69 miles for the year at this point, 1,000 seems easy!
Week 49 - 0.00 again... Right foot still numb.
Week 50 - 5.02
Week 51 - 11.79
Week 52 - 43.77 in hopes of pulling a miracle out of my ass I shoot for 2 50 mile weeks to hit 1,000 for the year.
Week 53 - 11.05 after a good 10 mile MAF test monday I realize that 1,000 isn't going to happen, and its not worth further damage to my leg.

So, there you have it, my first full calender year of running, 99% of which was done fully barefoot!!!

Hopefully my legs starts acting better soon and I can start taking 2012 down one mile at a time!