Sunday, March 4, 2012

Week Summary: Feb 27 - Mar 4

2-27-2012
Mon-AM: 1:30, 2800' ~ Green Mt+9min barefoot at BHS
Up and down 1st Saddle. 32:57 up/16:13 down for a 49:10 roundtrip from Gregory. All running except for the steep stuff on the uphill (which meant I hiked most everything except for Greenman). The downhill was already way icier than yesterday even, so just cruised it without pressing. On the way home I swung by Boulder High School to get some sans shoe time on their fake turf.

2-28-2012
Tue-AM: 1:37, 2800' ~ Green Mt+9min barefoot
Up 1st Saddle, down 3rd access. Had to go early before a conference call with NB, so I wasn't quite as perky on a 33:37 uphill. Saw Homie for like the third morning in a row; dude's getting after it. Descending was an adventure with lots of shoe-skiing on a frozen, Spring-like snowpack. A couple inevitable spills garnered me some raspberries on my hips not to mention bloody shins from breaking through the crust. Acupuncture later in the morning.
PM: 1:17, 2600' ~ Green Mt.
Up and down 1st/2nd Access from Chat. Warm-ish afternoon punctuated with a snow squall here and there. Strong legs but I bonked pretty badly on the way down. I've really missed getting up the mountain in the afternoons, good to get back out there. All hiking.

2-29-2012
Wed-AM: 1:32, 2800' ~ Green Mt+9min barefoot
Up and down 1st Saddle. Another windy-as-hell day on the mountain, but the shin felt solid and I ran into Carney, Benita, Tyler, Glowney and Hudson getting ready for a track workout at BHS while I was doing some barefoot. Didn't recognize Glowney w/o his doctor clothes.
PM: 1:04, 2400' ~ Green Mt.
Hiked up 1st Arete and down 1st Saddle with Jeff. Always good to get out with JV, seems like it's been a few weeks. All hiking.

3-1-2012
Thu-AM: 1:48, 2800' ~ Green Mt+13min barefoot
Up Gregory-Ranger and down 3rd access. This was all running. I've definitely lost some proficiency on the not-quite-as-steep uphills.  That, or I was just tired.

3-2-2012
Fri-AM: 1:43, 2800' ~ Green Mt+16min barefoot
Up 1st Saddle and down 3rd access. Shin felt good this morning; happy to not see the predicted fresh inch or so of snow. Acupuncture.

3-3-2012
Sat-AM: 1:20, 3000' ~ Bear Pk+12min barefoot
Biked to Cragmoor TH. Pretty tired ascent; I'd wanted to hit two laps but just didn't have it physically for some reason. Stopped off at Kitt Fields on the bike home for the barefootin'. Another crazy windy day.

3-4-2012
Sun-AM: 1:47, 2800' ~ Green Mt+19min barefoot
Up Gregory-Ranger and down 1st Saddle. Really good run. Had surprisingly good energy and the shin was maybe the best it's been all week. Gonna force myself to not get out for another summit this afternoon even though it's such a gorgeous warm day.

Hours: 13h38min
Vert: 24,900'

Nice progress this week.  I tried really hard to not get ahead of myself and just stay in the 1h20-40 duration all week.  Mid-week I got out for a couple of afternoon hikes, but otherwise this week was all running (with the odd bit of running-intensity hiking on the steeper stuff) and I had the discipline to only get out once per day.  Not sure if re-introducing a little bit of barefoot running has been helpful or just coincidental with my shin's recent cooperation, but I enjoy it either way and have really missed it for the past year.  I also started using an Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System this week (20min, 2x/day at 30 millwatts) on my shin; I think it's a little early to say whether it's been helping, but it certainly hasn't been hurting.

  • I've been trying to follow along here and there all week with Geoff's efforts at the Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska.  While hardly really even a running race, I find the scope of this event staggering in a way that I imagine most people on the street find racing 100 miles in the mountains to be almost inconceivable. It's been interesting to experience that perspective and all in all what they're doing up there is pretty inspiring stuff, even if they're mostly toiling in obscurity; actually, probably because they're toiling in obscurity. 
  • Hit my 600th lifetime Green Mountain summit on Thursday morning, March 1st.
Quick vert, Wednesday afternoon. Photo: Jeff Valliere.
Greenman Trail. Photo: JV.
Photo: JV.

16 comments:

R. Logan Brooks said...

Progression exemplified in your exploits on Green. Great to see and hear. Godspeed as always Tony.

David Hill said...

Nice to see you back to some bare running. Just a gut feeling, but seems something about getting back to a true natural running stride could spark certain signals in the body and in some way be healing. Also liked the RT post. You should give zen meditation a try - not commercial, BS zen meditation - but true zen practice like that taught by Uchiyama Roshi in "Opening the Hand of Thought". It will inform and support your running meditation.

Al Glenn said...

Go Tim Hewitt! As of this point he is ahead of Geoff! Plus he is going the other 650 miles!!!. Talk about thinking about everyting and nothing!! Al Glenn.

Al Glenn said...

Oh well, correction. Way to rock Geoff! Anyway go Tim, only 600+ to go. Al Glenn.

Joe Grant said...

Really enjoyed the RT post. "I do think that regularly practicing the act of carefully tuning in–not tuning out–ultimately leaves us more open to the emotions of, among other things, humility and compassion." Spot on.

Brandon Fuller said...

Holy crap! Look at that pack. You could carry at least 4 extra gels in that thing.

Anton said...

Brandon - Unfortunately, no room for gels after I crammed in my fly rod n reel and chest waders.

coach dion said...

Love the pictures in the snow, wish I had time to climb our little mountain a couple of times a week...

Barry Bliss said...

Enjoyed the DVD/documentary of the Western States 2010 race.
Killian, yourself, and Geoff were all cool and inspiring.

Collin said...

Nice work. What are those blue shoes you've been wearing?

Michael Owen said...

Nice post on RT. Mihály Csíkszentmihályi talks about the "flow experience" in one of his books. This "flow" is closely related with mediation/satisfying consciousness - when mind and body fuse together ‘timelessness’ is often experienced. I think it is important to study, or at least recognize the presence of this spiritual experience when participating in wilderness endurance activities because it gives a brief answer to those common questions we receive. Maybe we should just answer, “it’s all about the flow experience.”

Scott Burd said...

Anton, nice work. A group of us from BTR were going up Saddle yesterday morning as you came down past us. You looked like you had a good flow and energy and appeared to be feeling good, just by how floated by quickly!
I had a GoPro camera strapped to my chest, but had just turned it off, when I looked up and saw you coming down! Doh!!
I would have had a quick little video of you in action that I could have shared here(at your permission, of course).

Keep up the good energy and work and I'm sure things are going to work themselves out with the shin.

Cheers-
Scott

mi55ter said...

Tony- I'd like to suggest reading Haruki Murakami too, specifically his book titled "What I talk about when I talk about running". There is the word 'running in the title', and a lot of passages start off on a run, but it's a wonderful re-enactment of how our mind goes off and does its own thing when we're out there. Loved your article, Matt

The Latest News said...

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Kent S. said...

Hey, Anton. Long time fan and I think what you do is incredible and I respect you a lot. I'm excited to see you racing again in 2012. I think you'd like this band, they're based out of CO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2yTiDlr8Mc

Kent S. said...
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