Sunday, January 29, 2012

Week Summary: Jan 23 - 29

1-23-2012
Mon-AM: 1:22, 2800' ~ Green Mt.
Up and down Third access.  Boom, running. Ran the runnable terrain on this route (including to and from Chautauqua), which made for about 50min worth. Super exciting.
PM: 1:01, 2500' ~ Green Mt.
Up and down First Saddle. Biked to Gregory and was very disciplined about just hiking. Warm afternoon had me shirtless on the climb, though. Awesome, considering it's January.  Snappy 33min ascent.

1-24-2012
Tue-AM: 1:22, 2800' ~ Green Mt.
Same exact outing as yesterday morning, except the shin felt even better. Ran everything that is runnable. Patience, patience, PATIENCE! Acupuncture session with Allison Suddard.
PM: 1:09, 2500' ~ Green Mt.
Up and down First Saddle. Very nice evening; perfectly calm w/ lightly falling flakes. All hiking.

1-25-2012
Wed-AM: 1:20, 2800' ~ Green Mt.
The usual, up and down Third access. Really really good.  My shin felt extremely close to 100% and the fresh pair of kicks (NB 1010s) had excellent stability and traction on the techiest terrain possible. I can't express how good it feels to be running again.
PM: 1:15, 2500' ~ Green Mt.
Took a fun new variation up to the First Saddle, scrambling the arete that leads out of Amphitheater and up to the First. Came out a little further east than I would've liked (right at the base of the backside of the First, so a touch high), but joined up with the standard path and then caught up to Gavin just below the NE ridge. Hiked to the top with him, but then hiked down solo as he was running down. Trying to stay smart.

1-26-2012
Thu-AM: 1:18, 2800' ~ Green Mt.
Up Amphi-Saddle Rock-Greenman and down First Saddle. Greenman above Saddle Rock is a freaking glacier right now. The ice is just ridiculous. All running, 35min up/18min down.  Acupuncture with Allison Suddard.
PM: 1:18, 2500' ~ Green Mt.
Up First Arete and down First Saddle. Got a late start after chatting with Buzz at the trailhead (he was out biking, too), but it ended up being a really fun climb. Was caught by darkness on the way down so stumbled a bit coming down Amphitheater. All hiking.

1-27-2012
Fri-AM: 1:31, 2900' ~ Green Mt.
Up Skunk Ridge down First Flatironette. Nice as I was able to get this in right before it started dumping snow.  Hit a cloud/snow line at ~7800' heading up the Skunk Ridge but then it was snowing pretty much the whole descent. Running.
PM: 1:15, 2500' ~ Green Mt.
Up First Arete and down First Saddle. Fresh layer of snow made things pretty slow and the icy patches super treacherous.  Truly magical evening on the summit with the sun setting behind swirling purple and pink mist; really wished I had the camera.

1-28-2012
Sat-AM: 4:48, 5000' ~ La Plata Peak
From Highway 82, I took the NW ridge to the summit and back the same way. A few hundred extra feet of vert from the bumps on the ridge. Total postholing endless drudgery through the trees (w/ snowshoes even!) was the only damper on an otherwise excellent day. 3:22 up, 1:26 down.  On the way down I got in a bit of snowshoe running for the first time ever and found it to be way less awkward than I'd always assumed.

1-29-2012
Sun-AM: 1:36, 2900' ~ Green Mt.
Up Skunk Ridge and down 3rd access, mostly with Geoff after starting with a big group of others (Jenny, Scott, Jon, Krissy, Dan, Darcy). Shin felt good.
PM: 1:14, 2500' ~ Green Mt.
Up and down First Saddle in the dark (headlamp). Hiking.

Hours: 20h29min (~9hr running/11h30 hiking)
Vert: 37,000'

Ah, good news to report this week, the first in almost a month it seems.  My shin started feeling good again last weekend and this week I was determined to not get over-excited with its seeming health.  I've been in this position probably a half dozen times over the past year, but this past week I made the crucial difference of not increasing the running at all for the whole week, sticking to my usual 1:20-ish trip up and down Green from my doorstep each morning, and of reinstituting acupuncture into my plan of attack. Yesterday's 14er involved less than 30min of actual running (most of which was on cushiony snow, no less), so despite the longer outing was still pretty tame on the shin, I think.  This week I will look to maintain the discipline and not increase the running appreciably until at least next weekend when I'll be back in L.A. and hope to enjoy another outing in the San Gabes.

This week's positive progress gave me the confidence to finally post a racing schedule for the 2012 season. After only racing once in 2011, I'm extremely excited about the events I have lined up in 2012, especially the prospect of racing internationally multiple times.  I've always identified deepest with the European style of mountain running (steep and techy), so May's races are super inspiring for me.  And how can one not be excited about visiting New Zealand?

Overall, I'm trying to diversify things a bit this year: different countries, a foray into shorter races (Mt. Washington and Pikes Peak), and maybe the gnarliest event in the sport (Hardrock).  I may even still throw the Boston Marathon in there in April; I've always wanted to experience the most classic pavement session on the calendar.  I'm most excited to finally be in a position, physically, where I feel confident allowing myself to realistically anticipate racing again.


Alpenglow at the base of Green, Friday morning.
But a just-starting-to-snow cloud on the summit, #33.
A special sight for anyone who's run the Leadville 100: 13,933' Mt. Hope (left) and Twin Peaks/Rinker Peak near Twin Lakes (Hope Pass just barely out of frame on the left). On the way to La Plata Pk Saturday morning.
Really looking forward to the new Sleigh Bells album on February 21st.

38 comments:

  1. Awesome news Tony. See ya when you come back to LA.

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  2. People here in New Zealand are super excited about you coming over here. Just try and convinve the NB execs to release the MT110 here!!! :)

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  3. 1. I don't know about Boston, Tony. They say Heartbreak Hill is a real killer. It would be a shame to see it break you.

    2. A few selections for everyone's listening pleasure from The Horrors:

    Changing the Rain
    I Can See Through You
    Still Life

    3. Good luck with that shin.

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  4. Hi Anton, Cool to hear that you are planning the TransVolcania, my girlfriend & I have been here on La Palma for the last month running the unreal trails on the island and are contemplating coming back for the TV next year. I think I have found trail heaven here, seriously you are in for a treat! I managed to get my hands on a pair of MT110 just before I left Sweden and have pretty much lived in them for the last 30 days, you guys did an incredible job, I absolutely love them. Heres wishing you a successful race season for 2012.

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  5. If you come to New Hampshire for Mt. Washington, be sure to check out the Presidential Traverse. You won't be sorry.

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  6. Great news! Really glad to read you are back!! You said it..."stay smart"

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  7. Will be good to see a shirtless guy inmidst (or, infront of) the so far dominating salomon athletes at the skyraces in europe! Have a good season. We Swiss are still waiting for you to run Sierre-Zinal!

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  8. I second the Presidential Traverse suggestion.

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  9. Really good news from your side. Congrats !
    Stay there.
    I mean in good health overall.
    Let the force be with you.

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  10. Bravo Anton!

    Awfully glad to know you shall be visiting and racing in Spain. Hope you very much enjoy the atmosphere here.

    BTW, those Leadville pictures brought great memories from our LT100 race there in 2010: We also had the chance after the race to go up to La Plata and greatly enjoyed the trail and the scenery.

    Nos vemos en España!

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  11. Boom. I think Clarkie got an invite to Transvulcania too but has RD responsibilities that same day. Looks like such a sick race.

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  12. There is almost nothing better than running w/o pain after an injury. Stay smart, don't get greedy, when in doubt rest.
    Thanks for the pis, they are so beautiful!

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  13. Hey Tony, just wondering how you are making out with those foot exercises and lymphatic points I sent you. Drop me a line with an update. joshyoung75@hotmail.com. ttys.

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  14. Nice, it would be great to see you race in new england. Check out the pemi loop in NH if you head up that way...

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  15. Bugger, I'm regretting not signing up for Boston this year. I'm pretty sure Charlie is being sarcastic about heartbreak hill though!

    Great feeling to be on that recovery trajectory, isn't it?

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  16. My God, the Google translation of your interview is killing me (in a good way). Some examples:

    "...the New Balance MT110. They are very small slippers..."

    "When you suffer a slut, what do you usually do to overcome it?"

    Ahh, there's a proper English translation at the bottom. Not nearly as entertaining...

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  17. Tony, for Hardrock I assume you're going with the 110's. Do you anticipate more then one pair for the race? Would anything change your mind about using the 110's for the entire race (weather)?

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  18. tb - yeah, 110s at Hardrock. I'll probably have the forthcoming 1010s in the quiver, too. Haven't decided which shoe I like better yet. Either way, I'll plan on changing into a fresh pair at Grouse Gulch (mile 58) because after such extended, repeated pounding (~12hr or so...:-) on gnarly terrain, i know the forefoot is going to feel crushed out and thin. in a "shorter", smoother 100 like Western States or Leadville I'd just wear one pair all the way through.

    i don't think weather will affect my shoe choice.

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  19. hi tony!
    very happy to be able to see you in the Basque Country. I hope to take a picture with you and hope to see you close runnig in ours mountains.

    welcome to EUSKAL HERRIA!
    ongi etorri EUSKAL HERRIRA!

    GOOD LUCK IN YOU SEASON

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  20. Transvulcania 2012!!!!! Yeahhh, Anton!!!!! I see you there!!!!

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  21. I'd like to encourage anyone interested in seeing the Western States 100 documentary to order it from the makers.

    Sure you can maybe see it or get it for free, but sometimes it's cool to do it the right way and not just take.

    Support (if you can) these folks and enable them to keep making films.

    Disney aint making doc.s about 100 mile races--but someone is.

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  22. Tony it's really nice to know that you will be in Zegama this year. Expect crowded hills, all giving their best to support all the runners. We give encouragement to all runners, from elite ones to those last ones. My life as a trail runner changed completely with my first Zegama. I hope you'll enjoy your stay with us.

    Bear in mind that trails here are usually more technical than those in the states. And we love that :))

    See you in Zegama

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  23. Tony,

    Awesome to hear about the shin cooperating. Best of luck with continued health.

    Tony or anyone else that can give me some info,

    I'll be in Boulder next month and want to check out some of your routes. When you run up Green on Third access is that the name of the trail? Do you have an address for the trail head?

    Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some info on the area.

    Brad

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  24. Brad --

    You'll want to head to the Gregory Canyon trailhead. The major jumping off point for trails in Boulder is Chautauqua Park at the intersection of Baseline Rd and Grant Place. Gregory is another 1/2mi or so west on Baseline--it's the left turn right before the road takes a sharp turn right/uphill (and turns into Flagstaff Rd).

    From Gregory you'll have two options to head up Green Mt., either Amphitheater on the left (steep) or Gregory Canyon on the right (not quite as steep). There are maps/signs at all the trailheads and at several trail intersections, so you should be able to find your way around pretty easily.

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  25. Only problem with Tony doing a Presi Traverse would be that he would probably move out here and make his daily jog and embarrass all of us. Might also consider doing the Pemi Loop too-good elevation and a little longer than the Presi. It would be interesting to hear what you think of the rocky trails and, to see how your feet hold up.
    And, importantly, we're all cheering for you out here Tony-be well!
    Martin in Vermont

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  26. Meh, I just mentioned it as a good way to see the mountains here - at a casual pace or otherwise. I can't imagine traveling to run the auto road, seeing the rest of the range, and not wanting to do more.

    Be careful with the shin. Glad to here it's feeling better, but don't overdo it.

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  27. Agree with Adam; especially take care on pavement -- Boston or not, 26.2 on asphalt could do more damage than 100 on the more forgiving earth.

    Great to hear the progress. And do enjoy your time in the Presidentials - our New England weather may not cooperate but the dramatic terrain will not disappoint. Best for the 2012 season.

    BTW - when can we expect the 1010?

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  28. What are the blue shoes with a zipper I've you seen you wearing in your pictures anton?

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  29. Also, if you *are* coming to Boston you should consider a two-fer and grace us with your presence at the 3rd annual Traprock 50k in central CT on the Saturday before Boston (about 90 min. away). The rocky singletrack and ridgline views will be a nice pre-amble to Boylston Street!

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  30. The lesson about not increasing the mileage (or intensity) as soon as you notice the injury has begun to heal is one I take to heart.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  31. That music vid brought me back to the 80s...ha!

    Looking forward to the possibility of meeting you this summer. I'm planning on doing the Pike's Peak Ascent. Really excited to be heading to CO in May.

    Great to see your continued progress and the diversity of races on your schedule.

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  32. Awesome Anton!! So excited for you to be feeling good!

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  33. Hi Anton, my friend lost one microspikes yesterday on the way down from Green, somewhere on the greenman trail. It was brand new. Would you mind posting the info or spreading the word??
    Thanks a lot
    Laurent

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  34. I seen sleigh bells at st. andrews in Detroit..it was the brightest loudest show I have ever seen. I had ear plugs and still seemed like I was standing right next to the speaker. Kind of cool. Anyway, congrats on the comeback.

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  35. Anton-

    I recently had ACL/Meniscus Surgery last Friday and I am on crutches for 4 weeks! Do you have any tips for how you got through your weeks on crutches?? Can't wait to get back out running again!

    Courtney

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