I'm not sure what was so special about Rocky Raccoon, but my effort there has really taken it out of me for a while. Today is the first day since the race nearly two weeks ago that I feel like I'm ready to maybe start training hard again. I'd been fighting off a cold the final days before the race, so of course that hit me full force immediately afterwards. On top of that, my left hamstring and then my left foot/plantar decided they weren't at all happy about running for 13 hours straight. But, everything is starting to clear out now, and I think I'll be returning to the local hills very soon.
In the meantime, here are a few late bits and bobs from the race:
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| Jenny putting her rockstar designer skills to use a couple nights before the race. Sewing powermesh gel hip-pockets on the NB race shorts. |
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| On the 6am starting line. Bill Fanselow in the green top, Mike Arnstein with head down and arms crossed, Ian Sharman just behind him, Scott displaying disgust at his defective light, me checking my timing chip, Zach Gingerich in the whit e top, and Karl in the Red Bull stocking cap. All photos: Jenny Uehisa. |
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| With Hal at the finish. Nothing like a little friendly competition to bring out the best in each other. |
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| Exhausted at the finish with Yassine and Jenny. Yassine finished 2nd in the 50 miler earlier in the day and Jenny was a jill-of-all-trades all day acting as crew for multiple runners, including myself. Thanks! |
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| Signing some vintage FiveFingers in the finish-line tent. |
A rambling interview about the day conducted with Mike Wolfe in the back seat of our rental car on the way to the Houston airport.
36 comments:
Have you been stretching that hamstring?
I believe I remember you saying you were considering introducing some stretching on a regular basis.
Had you been doing that before the race?
What exactly do you think of stretching, in general, in regards to distance running?
Anton, Have you done any running around at all since the race or are you just now resuming running? Cheers. Ryan
Reading your blog makes me depressed. You are freaking quick, and if I ever want to win an ultra I had better step it up. Good thing I try to just run for fun and do my best to forget time. But is it really possible to ever not care about your race times? Might take a lifetime for me to achieve that goal, but after a lifetime of running I will probably have good time. Good work!
Nice to hear you back in the blogosphere after a much deserved break. Not suprising about the hamstring and foot given the effort at RR. Makes the rest of us mere mortals feel a little better. Speaking of which, any special recommended treatments or just taking it easy? (my PF flared badly a couple months after 50m at TRT due to a poorly titrated shoe change and won't let up).
Thanks, Tony, for the ever-inspiring running and writing!
It was sweet to watch you race homie, here are some extra shots. thanks for the shoe signage!
happy recoveries
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arikcard/?saved=1
In the interview you called RR "a good little race." There's one thing that would have made it bigger - your victory.
Hi Anton
I think that the course (ie flat) is the main reason why its taken so much out of you.
90% of my running is all trail with vertical climbs and I can get out 7 days a week. Whenever I'm forced to hit the road or flat trail my legs get wasted!
You've mentioned a couple of times now that you sew pockets into your shorts to carry extra gels. Care to share specifics/pics? I'd be interested in doing something similar.
Me too,...pleaseeeee
Can u give us some pic?
Thanks a lot!
Regards from Spain
Anton: I've been battling plantar since July (just prior to the LT100) and am now on top of it. I've found that the "downward dog" yoga stretch is excellent for plantar. When I do downward dog I really try to get a nice stretch in my calves, seeing if I can get my heels to touch the floor. Loose calves make a huge difference with PF. I hold it for 30 seconds or so and do a few reps. It is vital to get control of PF early or else it'll turn chronic and major. Good luck!
Tony,
I was in the exact same boat with both the cold and tight left hamstring post-Rocky. I'm also just about over the hump and ready to start pushing hard for a few weeks before the Malibu Creek 50k on March 6. Thanks again for providing the inspiration on race day. It was awesome watching you guys upfront battle it out. Be in touch.
Mike
Great video.
Sounds like you had a tough race and still finished a 100 miler in 13 hours 18 minutes and 2nd place.
Looking forward to seeing what you can do when you have a good race!
Hi Anton,
I've just started reading your blog, and have been in ultrarunning for a little while. Thanks for sharing so much about the race experience, it's really interesting to hear what it's like for those up you up at the front of the pack.
The video is especially insightful, perhaps because you are so frank.
Hope you are recovering well... keep it up, Anton!
Cloud, whoever you are and whatever running pedigree you can lay claim to, and even if you are 100% correct in your assessment (and I'm not saying you are), you completely discredit EVERYTHING you say with an anonymous post on a public comments thread.
That said, I'm guessing you ain't even close to who and what you say you are.
And if you are, it's even worse.
Hi Cloud,
Interesting comments.
I suppose the assumption you are making is that Tony trains to race.
My impression (from his writing) is that Tony's key to happiness is running daily in the mountains and racing is a secondary consideration. When he toes the line I'm sure he is trying to win, but if it came down to a choice of better race results via more structured training/less mountain running, I'm betting he wouldn't be interested.
We all know people with great unfulfilled talent and that is frustrating, but your ambitions for Tony may be nothing like Tony's own ambition. I'm a dad, I know.
Hi Cloud,
why posting anonymous?
I am just a ultrarunner so I don't need to hide behind a cloud.
First of all it would be good to know what Antons goals are?
Is it to have fun running, running up Green Mt. for 1000 times or is it winning races?
If it would be winning races and be one of the best trail runners around, I have to agree with Cloud. Less miles, more quality, less Green mt. runs and a more focused preparation would probably help.
But I guess Anton is old enough to make his own decisions.
In my 25+ years of ultrarunning I saw a lot of different running characters and Anton is just one of them. There is no perfect way to be an elite ultrarunner.
So just let us go out and run!
Markus
Cloud,
Um, no.
You are an amateur human being, but an expert douche.
I certainly won't comment on any of your racing skills or training except to say that if I had Green Mt in my backyard I'd run it every day too, who cares about my next race.
I would like to give you some solid advice in regards to your appearance though. While your beard may be longer and fluffier than mine it is by no means as sexy (I can get at least one other person other than my wife to confirm this). And while you may have those Hollywood locks flowing behind you when you run, if you'll just shave your head, like me, you might be able to cut a good 11 seconds off your race times. Something to think about. I mean, while I would undoubtedly finish a solid 10 hours behind you in any 100 miler I'm still pretty dang fast with a bald head.
Again, this is just some friendly advice from an elitist prick, I mean 'nobody' who periodically reads your blog.
Oh, and my friend (a non-runner) named his mini-van (which he uses for climbing trips) "Cloud". Maybe he is the one giving you crap. Probably.
I think some of you would learn more about Anton if you watched the documentary Indulgence. Then I believe you may understand how he trains and how he simply just enjoys running long.
While Clouds words are stiff and possibly true Anton once had the structure and discipline to run track and XC in College and he didnt seem to enjoy it if I remember the documentary correctly...
Anton being Anton is what continues to inspire me.
I don't even know who most of the other guys/gals that race are.
I caught bronchitis immediately after Rocky Raccoon. Took quite a while to fight it off. Thanks for blogging, Tony!
I have a serious question. I'd like to add extra pockets to the inside of my shorts. I know you use mesh, but what kind and do you just sew a pocket and then sew it to the inside on the elastic waistband so that it gathers? Do you add any additional elastic to the pocket or is it simpler than that?
Who is this "Cloud" person being mentioned? I don't see his comments.
Brian,
Cloud blew away leaving nothing but numerous "Comment Deleted" to mark his passing
Clouds come and go. That's also called weather :-) LOL
Any word on AK? Injured? Taking time off to recover? :). Wouldn't blame you really after RR. That was some effort after running high in the mountains all winter. Hope all is well with the knee.
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