Week Summary: July 23 - 29

07-23-2012
Mon-AM: 1:09, 2000' ~ Kelso Ridge
Out and back from my usual 1.4mi sign start on the Grays & Torreys access road.  Parked at 7:30am, but felt exhausted so crawled in the Roost for a little nap and ended up sleeping another two hours.  Stumbled up the mountain for a while, but once I got to the start of the ridge and still felt terrible I just turned around and stumped back down to the truck. Body is still wrecked from last week's Nolan's run on Tuesday and overall high volume/vertical, despite taking the last three days easy.

07-24-2012
Tue-AM: 2:13, 4500' ~ Mt. Elbert (14,433')
Up West Ridge and down NE Ridge. Really solid run and felt like my legs might actually be back.  Just went mellow, but PRed up the West Ridge with a 49:20 ascent from the rock cairn to the summit. Great to get back to the high country and have the legs feeling solid.

07-25-2012
Wed-AM: 2:02, 4500' ~ Mt. Elbert (14,433')
Up and down NE Ridge. Just did the standard route from Halfmoon Creek TH.  Right at 2hr roundtrip. Went really easy to treeline with Anna and then maintained a very mellow effort for the rest of the run. Just tried to get up and down the hill as easy as possible. Energy was good. Cool, blustery, cloudy conditions on the summit, but was still surprised to see (via the interwebs) that it had snowed on Pikes Peak. Drove to SLC in the afternoon.

07-26-2012
Thu-AM: 1:00, 1600' ~ Snowbird, UT
Parked at the Speedgoat starting area and tried to check out the first part of the course. Frustratingly squirrelly lay-out to the beginning of the race---just charge up the mountain!---but my legs felt really peppy, which was nice after a week of lethargy. Anna, on the other hand, seriously considered canceling any plans to race.

07-27-2012
Fri-AM: 0:52, 1400' ~ Catherine's Pass/Sunset Peak, Alta UT
Easy pre-race jog.  Parked at the Cath Pass TH and jogged up to the pass in a blustery drizzle. Sunshine came out on the jog up to Sunset Peak before we descended a nice double-track to Albion Basin (that I'd run with Karl years ago) and the Roost. Definitely feeling rested for the first time pretty much all summer. Last week's Nolan's run forced a much more aggressive taper than I would normally employ for a race this short, but that's probably a good thing.

07-28-2012
Sat-AM: 5:38, 11,500' ~ Speedgoat 50K
Warmed up with a 15min jog. Finished 4th in 5:23. Felt terrible for the first 4 hours, which meant there was a 22min gap to the front of the race with 10 miles to go.  Finally turned things around and closed that to 9min at the finish after passing Max and moving into 3rd with a couple of miles to go.  Of course, Max passed me back on the downhill road, but I was able to keep it to within 26sec at the finish. Satisfying and fun finish to an otherwise remarkably off day.

07-29-2012
Sun-AM: 2:02, 3000' ~ Catherine Pass/Sunset Peak, Alta UT
Slept in the Alta parking lot and got up for a mellow jog up the road to the trail to the pass to the peak and then down some of the Wasatch 100 course before coming back up to the pass and taking the doubletrack back down into the valley and back to the Roost. Felt surprisingly decent after yesterday's hectic final downhill charge. Drove to the Tetons in the afternoon.

Hours: 14h56min
Vert: 28,500'

Early in the week I thought my legs would never come around in time for the race this past weekend; and after my performance there it seems they actually never really did.  But that's okay, it was still a blast to get back amongst it this weekend.  I think Karl put on an excellent race and I'd do it again.  Stringent regulations prevent us from devising perfectly aesthetic courses here in the US, but I think Karl does a fantastic job with the limitations he has at Snowbird--a solid amount of vertical, stunning scenery, some steep bits, prize money, and a jovial post-race atmosphere.  Sure, there could definitely be improvements, but in my opinion Speedgoat is a welcome departure from the usual 3h20-40 carpet trail 50Ks that exist across the country.  Be sure to check out some of Kevin Winzeler's photos from the race to get a flavor for the day.

Already haggard on the first summit of the day at Speedgoat. Photo: Marty Bess.

Roost dinner table on the shores of the Snake River Sunday evening, Teton Range WY. Photo: Anna Frost.