Yes! Finally some high altitude running! Ran to Barr Camp in 73:42 (from Hydro Street...even though I start most of my Manitou runs at Memorial Park I always time from Hydro because I need a little warm-up time) and there was NO SNOW the entire way. Above BC there was a fair bit of snow, but it was all runnable as it was pretty crusty/slushy/icy so I could stay on top of it. By A-Frame (12,000') the trail wasn't followable anymore, though, so I turned around and cruised it back down. Felt OK on the uphill, but really felt solid on the downhill and the excursion over to Mt. View at 10k' in order to get some more altitude time. Cranked downhill faster than usual (~48min from BC to Hydro) and then ran some extra at the bottom to make it 25ish miles. Great day.
PM: 6 miles (:47) Shooks Loop Backwards
Easy in the 152s, but feeling good. Stopped at the Safeway to pick up some tortilla chips.
Tue-AM: 25 miles (4:35) Pikes Peak Summit then down to Mt. View over to Barr Trail and down ~8000' vertical
Awesome to get to 14,000' for the first time this year, but ~8000' vertical in ~10 miles is pretty brutal. Felt good except for the last couple thousand feet. It is so steep in some spots. Rocked the downhill solid to get in some great downhill training for Western. Took two gels and snagged a Snickers bar at the Summit House that saved me the last hour and a half. Jogged around a little in Manitou to get in 25ish.
PM: 6 miles (:50) North Loop+barefoot
Easy in the 152s but I somehow felt really good. Gorgeous evening. For some reason when I only take 3-4hrs after a long run I always feel nice and peppy on the 2nd run.
Wed-AM: 30 miles (4:00) Jones Park-7 Bridges Loop+Monument loops and barefoot ~4000' vertical
Rainy all day, so I didn't get out until almost noon. Slow at first, but then I felt good on the climb up 666 so I just went for it and decided to do the full loop because I was having so much fun. Above Capn Jacks there was new snow on the trail (that my NB 152s weren't so happy navigating) and there was rain coming down, but I had a blast. Kinda bonked the last 30 minutes or so because I didn't take any gels or water (did have a muffin for breakfast, though).
Thu- zippo, woke up with a sore throat, headache, body aches, queasy stomach, no good
Fri- 4 miles (:37) Monument+barefoot easy with Jocelyn
Just jogged around with J, but that might have been a mistake. I felt better afterwards than before, but I think I just need rest right now.
Sat- 0
No running today because I didn't really see any improvement in my health from yesterday. I'll just look at this as "stress fracture insurance" and hopefully will be able to start solid running again Monday.
Sun- AM: 5 miles (:42) North Monument
Jogged around easy to just test my health. Feeling better, but still pretty off. Should be ready to go tomorrow, though.
Total: 101 miles (15:35)
Great first half of the week, worthless second half; not much else to say. I really don't like to believe that going for a longish run in the rain can make one catch an illness...but it probably does compromise the immune system a bit.
16 comments:
This is actually a comment regarding a post in your last entry- you were speaking of your time in Crestone as a physics student...
After I ran my first marathon a few weeks ago, I was telling my dad about various runners that I read about, and you popped into mind. In addition to your running volume, I mentioned the few other things I know about you (from mag interviews etc) and that you have a physics background and are somewhat of a writer. My dad happens to be one of the editors for the American Journal of Physics and is always looking for "guest columnists." He expressed interest in contacting you, would there be an email address or anything that I could forward to him?
Looked like you had a really solid beginning of the week from your down time. Sorry to read you came down with something toward the end of the week. Hope it was not the flu.
Charles,
I'm not nearly as Physics-savvy as I was, say, three years ago, but if you want to give your father my email address, that's fine: antonkrupicka(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks for the interest!
I definitely didn't get the flu...just some sort of random bug floating around...I should be back on it this coming week.
Tony
Tony,
Could you compare the 152s to the 790s for us? I haven't tried the 152s. I've worn the 790s on the trails, and like them a lot. Are the 152s even lighter? Would you wear them in a trail race? Thanks.
Anton,hope Monday brings you some better health and mileage. Although my family and I were amazed that my mileage exceeded yours. Hope that doesn't happen again.Peace.
Anton,
I'm fairly new on the ultra scene, but I've been aware of you and following your blog since last year's LT100. I have been increasing my long runs and have been experimenting with nutrition. I know that nutrition needs vary from person to person, but I wonder why you or other ultra runners sometimes limit nutrition intake during long runs.
Each time I have limited my calories I have felt worse at the end of the run and have recovered more slowly. I also seem to be more likely to get sick or run down after the run. In fact, I have written off limiting calories until I get some hard evidence that it has metabolic benefits.
Have you noticed such a pattern in your training? How often do you limit calories? Just curious and trying to learn from those who are out there experiencing and talking about it.
Anton,
Great Posts...don't quit your day job anytime soon, but if you ever do slow down i'm sure there's gots to be somebody that needs some writing out there...thanks for being such a good ambassador of what i guess i would call "just get out and run and love it" philosophy.
Here's a random question...Do you drink coffee? If so, how much? When?
Just want some insight into how the black bean might play into other ultrarunner lifestyles.
Thanks.
Hope you bring the Western title home to Colorado!
How much harder is the cog route than a snow free Barr Trail?
dear anton,
any chance to do an interview for my upcoming webzine
www.trail-magazin.de
Once again I feel kinda awkward giving my advice to someone way out of my league, but I must add to what shane said:
Man cannot live off of tortilla chips alone (I realize that's not all you eat--there is also ice cream, etc.)
I probably eat and drink too much--thus the 220 pound frame--but I NO WATER FOR 30 MILES???????!!!!!!!!AND ONLY A MUFFIN FOR BREAKFAST???????!!!!!!!
You should be lucky you got sick; it's only by the grace of God you're not dead.
I'm just saying...
atwell: the 152 is a 5.5oz road flat whereas the 790 is a super light trail shoe. the 152s are lighter but they're pretty bad on trails because of the soft midsole foam and the almost complete lack of any sort of outsole. traction is terrible and rock protection is non-existent. i would only wear them for a trail race if the trail was one of those groomed, gravel, wide rails-to-trails type paths.
shane: i have no concrete evidence either way for limiting nutrition during long training runs except that i feel my body responds better in a race to the extra calories than if i were to make it expect those calories all the time during training. a lot of my training is geared towards running on tired legs, so bonking during longer runs is my way of forcing my body to learn how to burn fat (a different metabolic process than burning glycogen, i.e. gels) and better simulating the kind of fatigue that occurs in the latter stages of an ultra without having to go on 50-100 mile training runs. i also hate carrying stuff with me on training runs, so i just get lazy and don't bring enough gels most the time.
uvlp: i don't drink coffee at all. hate the taste (enjoy the smell sometimes). call me a philistine.
jt-the cog is way harder than a snow-free barr trail. it's just so much steeper on the upper half. mike, there are definitely precarious spots with passing trains. at one point, if a train had come by i would've been forced into at least a 500' glissade at 12,000' or so...not so nice...
denis,
i'll definitely do an interview for your webzine. just drop me an email.
tony
How do the La Sportiva Sonic TRs compare to the NB 790s? Not sure if you ever ran on the Sonics when you were with Sportiva but I absolutly love the shoe. Its one of those shoes I would buy 20 pairs of if I knew they would stop production. However I am curious about the 790. What I like about the Sonics is the lightweight, yet stiff outsole which makes it a great shoe for the rocky/rooty trails I run on here in Oklahoma. Does the 790 have a similar approach?
Hi Anton,
I dont know if you remember me
i did contact you for an ITW for my trail running magazine, french magazine!!!
i learn your cool article inside running times i think...
I very happy to see in your country there is a guy who run more 100 miles per week, i'm a young runner also (27) and i beginning 21 year ago, i run my first ultra race when i had 17 years old (50 miles) and this is my drug, i run 100-130 miles per week and it's always cool et simple....
Do you have a plan to run in Europe ....France maybe...In my family we are very hosting....and if you want to come in france you 're welcome in my Home ....
Maybe run UTMB (ultra trail du mont blanc) you know?
I have my best friend who lives in Denver and i hope to go in US next year maybe running with you
arf i'm sorry for my English so bad i think....
Best
Julien "French young Trash runner"
charles--
the LS Sonics and the NB 790s aren't even remotely the same kind of shoe in any way...other than that they both are meant for feet.
the 790s offer way way less support, cushioning and protection than the Sonics. they will feel like bedroom slippers compared to the psuedo-hiking boot qualities of the Sonics. i would recommend that--if you are currently loving the Sonics, and it sounds like you do--you should stick with the shoe that has been working for you.
tony
Sounds like a flu type thing...take care dude.
steve
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