Monday, July 26, 2010

Weekly Summary: July 19-25

07-19-2010
Mon-AM: 15 miles (2:29) Devil's Thumb, 3000'
PM: 7 miles (:55) Creek Path+2mi barefoot at Kitt
Acupuncture with Allison Suddard immediately afterwards.

07-20-2010
Tue-AM: 17 miles (2:36) Green Mt. & Bear Peak, 4200'
Fog layer at 8200' made for incredible views from Bear this morning. A very snappy 31:46 (6:45, 18:50, 29:20) up the front side of Green left me a bit wobbly-legged on the descents, but it was an awesome run overall. Hamstring felt the best it has since WS...very little trouble with it.
PM: 5 miles (:41) Creek Path

07-21-2010
Wed-AM: 35 miles (5:35) Granite Pass-Flattop Mt &back, 8500'
Great first long run back after WS. Scott and I started at the East Longs Peak TH at 9400' in RMNP, ran up to Granite Pass (12k'), all the way down to Glacier Gorge (9200') and Bear Lake, up to the summit of Flattop Mt (12,324') and then exactly back the way we came. I did the full 34mi out and back in 5:28 after charging over the final pass and down the last descent with more than a little fear of lightning strike. I felt good on the first climb, but the rest of the day had a hard time finding a good rhythm, except for the last descent. Jogged around at the end to shake out the legs after running fast downhill.

07-22-2010
Thu-AM: 16 miles (2:20) Green Mt. up back down Bear Cyn, 3000'
Easy effort after yesterday's long run. Running in Boulder in the summer is pretty great, if hot. Jumped in the creek afterwards.
PM: 8 miles (1:04) Creek Path with Jocelyn
Got completely soaked in a raging downpour.

07-23-2010
Fri-AM: 16 miles (2:22) Green Mt. up SR-GM down Bear Cyn, 3000'
I've never run the full Saddle Rock trail from the bottom, so Scott and I checked that out. It's nice. Legs felt good. Legs are definitely finally fully back post-WS.

07-24-2010
Sat-AM: 50-ish miles (8:10) Epic Indian Peaks Loop, 10,000'
Started from Brainard Lake/Long Lake with Scott and went up Pawnee Pass, down to Monarch Lake, High Lonesome Trail to Junco TH, Caribou Pass, Arapahoe Pass, Arapahoe Glacier Trail down to Rainbow Lakes Campground/Rd to CU Mountain Research Station, up and over Niwot Ridge and back down to the Long Lake lot. One of the best days I've ever had in the mountains. I was blown away by the magnificent beauty right from the start--I had no idea the stuff that was back there in that wilderness. Those mountains are on par with anything else I've seen in North America, stuff like the Tetons, San Juans, Elks, North Cascades, and high Sierras. After making the fifth and final 2000' climb of the day up to the Niwot Ridge Tundra Lab, we lost the trail (we'd gone too far west) and couldn't find the final three mile descent back down to Long Lake so Scott and I ended up dropping straight down an absurdly steep tundra and talus slope (at least 60 degrees) to intersect the well-traveled trail around the lake.

07-25-2010
Sun-AM: 16 miles (2:25) Green Mt. up G-G down Bear Cyn, 3000'
Hot, but legs felt surprisingly good after yesterday.
PM: 8 miles (1:12) Golf Course Loop w/ Jocelyn
Very slow easy jog because Joc was dragging a bit.

Total
-Miles: 193
-Hours: 29h 49min
-Vertical: 34,700'

2010 Summits (Day 206)
-Green: 186
-Bear: 12
-SoBo: 4

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This was a great first real week back to training post-WS.  The two long runs were definitely highlights and sort of showcase why I tend toward ultras when it comes to racing: in the summertime (or anytime) it's just really hard for me to not want to get out there and enjoy all-day runs in the mountains and this obviously better prepares me for all-day races in the mountains.  The Saturday run was an epic almost paradigm-shifting event for me (at least in terms of my sense-of-place), so it definitely deserves a forthcoming blog post all its own.

I was also pleasantly surprised by my uphilling legs on the frontside of Green Mt. on Tuesday.  That time is only 17 seconds off of my PR and came after not pressing until the top half of the mountain.  I think I've held onto my fitness well since Western States.

With regards to racing plans in August, I'm still fairly squarely on the fence betwixt Pikes Peak and Leadville, but right now my attitude is resonating slightly more with the acronym title of the stellar Yeasayer tune O.N.E: One's Not Enough.

30 comments:

Tucker Goodrich said...

Good to hear you're back!

2 questions:

Is there an advantage to doing accupuncture immediately after a run?

You'd mentioned you ran WS in MT100s with normal heels. How did that work out?

Nick said...

Dude, Pb100 Saturday, PPM Sunday! Seriously?

Now that's what I call doubling up.

Anton said...

Tuck--RE acupuncture, I have no idea. I seriously doubt it, though. I actually ran WS in a pair of 101s. They worked great. Very happy with that shoe. I've come to regard the extra traction on steep, technical downhills as more important than a perfectly flat shoe. NB will be coming out with several shoes with a flatter drop, soon, however.

Nick--No, dude. I may be dumb, but that would be monumentally silly. I'm referring simply to 100 milers in a season...

Charlie said...

Anton,
I saw you were on the roster for the Barr race and was looking forward to meeting you but I guess your legs had not returned by then. Glad to see you've got your feet back under you. Looking forward to seeing whatever race you do in August.

Brian said...

I can't resist..... Speaking of Paradigm Shifts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STMsuz24-ds&feature=related

Stuart Swineford said...

That IP run is a good one and you are correct about it being gorgeous up there. One of our many, hidden jewels. Psyched to read the full report.

~stubert.

Timmy Olson said...

The song was great, but i think it needed more cowbell!

Nick said...

Figured I might be barking up the wrong tree. But just think, you could take down Matt's CR on Saturday and then take him down head to head on Sunday ;-)

Anonymous said...

Why not just go to Europe and win the UTMB?

R. Logan Brooks said...

Tony,

Impressive week. I have become accustomed to those from you. Stoked to hear that you are feeling good again since it seems you are one of the few runners out there with a blog that seems to attract my attention, I check it nightly for a little motivation here in the desert. Good luck with your decision on either LT100 or PPM.

Anonymous said...

Do you break your graal's hunting down one time in a year?
really, your training's volume is impressive....but is it really a training?
but one question...do you handling long and wild running with bag and weight in?
it's the common of african-and-european's ultra...and those would be so better with you in actually!!!!

Collin said...

Tony, your fitness seems to be at an all-time high. Pike's Peak would be a great run for you to do, but I think you're ready to smash that course record at Leadville. The kind of training you've had all year is incredible; I'd say you should take advantage of it. You could win Pike's on a month or 2 of solid training any year, but this kind of consistency you've had all year is incredibly rare for almost any runner and it's exactly the type you need to have a killer run over 100 miles, so I think you should take advantage of it while you can. Just my 2 cents.

vibram five fingers said...

Glad to see you've got your feet back under you. Looking forward to seeing whatever race you do.
Wish everything goes well with you!

mike said...

Hi Anton,
Awesome training week!

Why not do PP Ascent on Saturday and PP Marathon on Sunday - there's a double:o)


Mike

korykcool@yahoo.com said...

Anton,
Excellent week!
Question: Back in Spring '07 can you give a little more detail on:
I ended up running very little for the next two months until Dr. Leahy and Dr. Matthews at Champion Health fixed me in less than a week and I started training hard again on the 4th of July.
How did you damage your meniscus and what did Dr. Leahy do to fix it?

I will be around the Hessie trails later this week (coming from KS) - any recommended loops out that way?

Take care,
KC

Barry Bliss said...

"The Saturday run was an epic almost paradigm-shifting event for me (at least in terms of my sense-of-place), so it definitely deserves a forthcoming blog post all its own."

Looking forward to hearing about that.

Rob said...

I believe Marshall Ulrich is the only one to ever complete Leadville and PPM in the same weekend. If you are taking votes (which I'm sure you are not) I would vote for Leadville. I would love to see you and Matt C go head to head at PPM, but I think you are prime to get that CR at Pb.

Rob said...

http://wiki.runnersworld.com/index.php/Marshall_Ulrich

"Completing the Leadville 100 and Pikes Peak Marathon on the same weekend, a feat no one else in the world has achieved."

I think Nick just wants to beat you at PPM.

Martin said...

Amazing Tony, absolutely amazing. I can relate to the mental aspects of the long mountain run but physically-can only dream of that kind of mileage. I guess it's not the distance that counts but, it's really impressive.
Stay healthy and inspired and all the best for your coming adventures.
Martin

mike_hinterberg said...

Awesome, looking forward to the IPW run writeup. You essentially connected 2 epic loops! Hard to argue with the beauty out there, especially knowing how accessible it is from the Front Range.
Did you get a good view of Lone Eagle Peak?

Steve said...

Do you think it would be possible to get permits to do an ultra in the indian peaks wilderness? I'm sure the turnout would be great because of how close it is to Denver/Boulder.

Carl Tedesco said...

I don't know what's better about this blog: the skinny on the ultra-running or the music picks! Keep 'em both coming Anton!

Moncler Jackets said...

Good news to hear you are back
i admire you courage.
hope one day i can do the same thing with you.

paul Hopi said...

Anton my vote ,Pb 100 ,unfinshed business! -Strike whilst the pb is hot!. And thanks for shining a light on the killer Yeasayer track. alohas.

Sarah said...

Tony,

Seems your head and your body are ready for Leadville.
Please post your decision.
If you need a crew member for either, I can be there. Not fast enough to pace you, but knowledgeable enough to provide help in the aid stations, etc.

Sarah

Anonymous said...

Anton,
How much sleep per day on average do you think you get?

Kakapo said...

I'd love more details on the Indian Peaks run! I'm planning a running centric vacation in Colorado, and so anticipate your post quite keenly. I have no idea where to go, and your glowing review has me tending towards that area :)

Marco Peinado said...

Great to see you are back to running in the high 100'S. I have a feeling that I will be seeing you around Leadville one of these days. Let me know if you want some company in one of your runs.

laurent.d said...

is that true that scott jurek will run in my island,"réunion" island, on ze "diagonale des fous" in october with killian?
did he told you anithing on the subject?

Billy said...

Great week Tony! Love that you have a trail companion like Scott to keep you company on your long jaunts.