Sunday, June 13, 2010

Weekly Summary: June 7-13

06-07-2010
Mon-AM: 14 miles (2:17) Green Mt. up Back down Gman, 2800'
Predictably dead today. Went very easy.
PM: 9 miles (1:13) Creek Path+Campus
Hot and relatively humid. Temps in the 90s. Legs felt way better than this morning.

06-08-2010
Tue-AM: 15 miles (2:15) Green Mt. up Back down Bear Cyn, 3000'
Felt like a human being again this morning. Which is nice.
PM: 9 miles (1:12) Skunk Creek+3mi barefoot at Kitt
Ended up doing the barefoot with Carney (but he was in his usual boats). We got carried away talking so we did a mile more than I'd planned. Boulder Creek borderline flooding today.

06-09-2010
Wed-AM: 16 miles (2:28) Green Mt. & Bear Peak, 4200'
Casual 32:42 up the frontside of Green showed me my legs were back, so I tacked on a nice cruise up Bear's West Ridge. Actually had a fun time descending Fern Canyon. This is probably my favorite loop to do in Boulder. Took a comedic tumble when I caught a toe coming down Skunk Canyon. Somersaulted head-first off the steep trail and dropped into a deep thicket of plum-brush that left my whole right side pock-marked with thorns.  Luckily, no one saw me, but now a few days later I think I may have picked up a bit of poison ivy?
PM: 8 miles (1:04) Creek Path+3mi barefoot at Kitt
Nice hot weather--hit this run mid-day to get some heat. Had a helpful acupuncture session with Allison Suddard in the evening.

06-10-2010
Thu-AM: 27 miles (4:24) Pikes Peak Summit, 8000'
Caught a ride to Manitou with Jeff and a couple of his friends. Took a while for my legs to get going (I'm used to a little more warm-up before hitting a big hill like that), but once on Barr I couldn't believe how much more shallow it is compared to what I've gotten used to running in Boulder. 1:22 nice and relaxed to Barr Camp from the start at Memorial Park and another 1:12 to the summit (legs finally warmed up) despite maybe half a dozen stretches of still not insignificant snow in the final two miles (some postholing--but it will probably be all clear within another week) and still lacking any real acclimation. Descended casually as I didn't want to be too tired for the weekend long run and made it down to the finish line in 1:42 from the top for a 4:16 for the full PPM. Back at Memorial I jogged a few more minutes to round out 27 miles. Stopped momentarily at BC on the way down, but unfortunately Neal and Teresa weren't in--haven't seen them in a while. Still my favorite mountain of all time. It's just so damn big and feels like home.
PM: 5 miles (:42) Creek Path
Just running some errands--returned a library book, mailed a bill, picked up a few groceries.


06-11-2010
Fri-AM: 15 miles (2:10) Green Mt. up Greg-Gman down Front, 3000'
Fun easy run with Jeff on some vintage routes. The northeast ridge and 2nd Flatiron trail offer some premo views. Finished up with 2mi of barefoot at Kitt.


06-12-2010
Sat-AM: 16 miles (2:16) Green Mt., up Back down Bear Cyn, 3000'
Raining the whole way. Some sleet/graupel fell higher on the mountain. Weather is causing me to push the final long run back a couple of days. At first it felt good to thaw out in the sauna afterwards--but, then pretty quickly it sucked just as much as usual.
PM: 8 miles (1:01) Creek Path+3mi barefoot at Kitt
Raining.  Still.


06-13-2010
Sun-AM: 17 miles (2:25) Green Mt. up Back down Bear Cyn, 3000'
Still raining. Gave Jurker the tour and did a lot of splashing through the high water in Bear Cyn. Legs feeling great, hope to get out for one last semi-long one tomorrow to give Scott a real picture of the area. Hopefully, by time I'm recovered from WS he'll be fully acclimated and we can do a lot of sweet high-country running.
PM: 8 miles (1:03) Creek Path+3mi barefoot at Kitt
Snuck this one in between rain showers.  My goodness, what weather.

Total
-Miles: 167
-Hours: 24h 30min
-Vertical: 27,000'

2010 Summits (Day 164)
Green: 166
Bear: 10
SoBo: 4
14ers: 2

Another very satisfactory week of running in the legs.  All that's really left to do is not run.

35 comments:

  1. I managed to sneak in Green Mtn today during a brief window in the weather 1:30pm-3:30pm. Came down Flagstaff.

    Amazing how many people were out: Flagstaff road was packed with bikers and I saw at least 20 parties around Chautauqua and a few up higher, hiking in the mud.

    Mud wasn't as bad as it could have been considering it's been raining the better part of 2 days now. Very odd for Boulder.

    Snow line at 10k means Audubon is probably going to be a posthole-fest again for the next week.

    88 degrees by Thursday though.

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  2. Also, 4:16 PPM is amazing given that you weren't pushing, and there is nontrivial snow still.

    I mean, some people would give anything to break 5 hrs, and you crushed that on a training run.

    WS100 should be a blast... I know I'll be "watching" the webcast.

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  3. Ack on Fern being the favorite. That top section above the col ... blah on that (except in winter when it is like a ski run).

    Stoked to see what you do at WS, but then - more locally, the BTMR.

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  4. I'm not surprised about your stellar results with a nontypical taper. I've been learning more and more about blood volume and tapering. Of course you want fresh legs, but your blood needs to be ready to combat stress, and it's more ready to combat stress when stress has been recent. Rock on!

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  5. GZ-
    Yeah, we'll see about BTMR...I signed up early because I didn't want to feel obligated to the 100% effort that I feel comes with a comped entry and because Jocelyn's going to be doing it--how hard I'm able to run there is going to be largely dependent on WS recovery. That said, it's a race I've always wanted to run really hard at.

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  6. Oh yeah, and Fern Canyon itself is definitely not my favorite, just that collective loop of Green and Bear--it's tough to beat. Fern's just a necessary (but still fun) evil along the way.

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  7. Ah, see, PP is descend-able. JV must have a phobia or something. We may have to get him some counseling.

    I heard the rumor of a SJ sighting in Boulder. Glad you are running with someone in these final days. Like if you get attacked by a bear on Bear before WS100, I give up being a fan. I can't take the agony.

    Stay dry and healthy, man. You are almost there.

    Give them nothing! But take from them everything! -King Leonidas

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  8. Sounds like running's going pretty well. What you reading this summer to keep your mind in tip-top shape?

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  9. Hello Anton; I bet the competition is going to be wild at WS100 because over here in old Europe, there is the alien, Killian Jornet Burgada, who has been training like hell as well and he is all cranked up! I wish I could fly to California to see the race! The very best of race to you, it's gonna rock!
    Bam, a French guy

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  10. Tony, looks like another great week of running. 167 is pretty crazy without 1 definitive long run. I was out in Death Valley this past weekend training for Badwater with Nickademus Hollon (the guy who ran it last year at 19) and we had a lot of spare time on our hands, so we spent a fair amount of time discussing States and who we think is going to take the win. Like before, my money's on you all the way! If you keep that mindset you had in Miwok about ensuring a smart race the whole way through rather than chasing numbers regardless of the cost, you're bound to win.

    By the way, I think this will go down as one of the few weeks in my life where my longest run was as long as your longest run (ran Towne's Pass to Darwin region in Death Valley). Crazy!

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  11. I'm sorry but did you say "casual" 32:47 frontside Green? To me, that is ridiculously funny! HA! Can't wait to see a fresh Tony at WS. See you in Squaw!

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  12. Tony, you sir, are one bad arse man-beast! Can't wait to see you rock WS!

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  13. Anton,

    Like everyone else here I'm very excited about "watching" you race and enjoying being a fan.

    What's your recommendation on "watching" WS if we can't be there? Where online? Video? Live streaming anywhere? Twitter? How would you recommend a friend follow it online? Thanks and best of luck with tapering. Stay smart and stay hungry.

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  14. It's prob different now given your relationship with NB, i.e. you get lots of shoes. But before you were a sponsored athlete, how many miles did you typically put on a pair of shoes? Best of luck at WS!

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  15. Tony:

    How's the family fairing back in Niobrara? We've had a bit of a humid end of spring here in NE and I'm planning a camping trip w/ my boys to Niobrara SP, but having to map out alternate routes if hwy 20 stays closed. It's a beautiful area and i can't wait to run there again! Obligatory WS comment: Lookin forward to tracking the Auburn track meet next week, when you're fresh you're scary. Crush it!

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  16. Anton,

    You may have answered this before but I was curious as to what you, if any, consume after your longer training runs to recover and re-energize yourself for the remainder of the day and heading into the next? Or are you highwired of a different breed all together and just drink water, hit the library catch some shuteye and do it all over again? In all seriousness I am curious to know. Take care.

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  17. I'm inspired to run my errands now too. :)

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  18. Glad I found your blog. I'm not near the caliber runner as you, but as a 200lb clydesdale, I am proud to share the same trails as you, especially that of Green Mountain and Pikes Peak - ran the Marathon once and the Ascent a few more times.

    Its fun to spot you on Green Mountain on occasion.

    Thanks for the inspiration and for making the sport exciting!

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  19. Looks like some of the top runners are out:

    Men: Jez Bragg, Kaburaki(M2/2009)
    Women: Anita Ortiz(1st OA Woman/2009, Bev Anderson-Abbs

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  20. How'd that last long run go? Feeling ready for WS100?

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  21. Good luck at WS100!

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  23. Wishing you all the best of luck for WS100 - I've been following your blog and training with interest over the last year and have gotten myself from 'couch to 5k' to 28km on my 28th birthday - nothing compared to your runs but I'm getting there!

    Thanks for the inspiration, sharing of your running, and run like the wind this weekend!

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  24. Great article on Running Times. Have a fantastic race.

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  25. Tony,

    Awesome race!!!! I know you're not going to get the credit from the Ultra-running community as a whole for this race as everyone is focused on Geoff. Without Geoff in the race you'd be assured the performance of the year award, but it'll go to Geoff. But what a race! At every AS you and Kilian were may be a minute apart, at the most.
    Hope you have a detailed race report on your blog soon. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to know how the race unfolded from your perspective. Particularly, who was pushing the pace in what part of the race?
    Again, congrats on an outstanding performance!!! Make sure you take enough time to recover before starting serious training again.

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  26. Yeah, What Uli said!

    The second greatest run in WS history, you would have won by at worst 20 minutes in any other year. You have got to be happy with that run. Fantastic effort!

    That race was one of the best things I've seen in any sport.

    I hope you two will go head-to-head again next year.

    I hope the knee pulls up ok and we all look forward to the race report.

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  27. That was incredible. I hope you are not disappointed, as that was one of the most impressive athletic achievements ever.

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  29. Anton, to run the way you ran, you had to believe you would make it, over another guy, for over 85 miles while pushing each other with Killan. And that long battle you won beautifully.

    Geoff simply hung on for almost the entire race and only had to really believe he could win it for the last 15 miles. Effective, but less interesting and inspiring.

    Who was the badass in that race? You, man.

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  30. First off, congrats on your performance. To hammer it for as long as you did and come away only 6 minutes down from Geoff is incredible. "You did all the work." It was like a 10,000 meter final, where you were the front guy doing it all, hoping somehow to hang on those last few laps. I commend your "Pre type" performance. All or nothing. Rest, recover. Do what you do. I know one thing. I'm sure glad I gave up my Saturday to watch this historic event unfold like it did.

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  31. Mind-bogglingly incredible run out there on Saturday, Tony! Congratulations on a truly amazing race, and I hope you are resting and recovering well. It's always a pleasure to see the sheer joy for the sport you exude when you run. All the best,

    -Sam

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  32. truly inspiring performance out there. Rest well!

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  33. Two questions for you: 1. do you generally run alone on trails; 2. if the answer is 'yes' to (1) are you concerned about encounters with bears, cougars and snakes? I love trail running, but worry about these things when running on my own and wonder, given how often you run the trails, what your experiences have been like and how you allay any fears you might have about this.

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