AM- 15 miles (2:07) Garden of the Gods (PC II)
PM- 7 miles (:53) Garden of the Gods road loop from Old Colorado City (NB152)
This morning I took Jocelyn on my standard 15ish mile loop in the Garden of the Gods--a good long run for her and a perfect recovery day run for me. It was weirdly warm out--we were in shorts and a t-shirts--and it was just a great day to be out on the trails. On the way out through the Mesas we had seen a Nathan hand-held water bottle in a snow drift and when it was still there on the way back I stopped to pick it up. We soon realized that it was full of beer and decided that some runner hadn't just left it there in the middle of run! However, the first thing Jocelyn and I said to each other was, "Hmm...has Alex started running with beer now, too?" As it turns out, that's exactly what had happened.
The evening's run was a quick-paced run through the garden with Julian. He thought we were only doing 7:30ish pace, but I'm pretty sure we were going faster. Anyway, it was a lot of fun to be slicing through the night with him, but my New Balance 152 flats are basically completely shot. There's almost a hole worn all the way through the bottom of the right one. The hard running on pavement (Julian is nursing his plantar and didn't want to run on the snowy trails) was a bit taxing on my shins/ankles.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Week Log 12/10-12/16
Mon-AM: 15 miles (2:00)
PM: 4 miles (:30)
Tue-AM: 7 miles (1:00)
Wed-AM: 15 miles (2:03) Garden of the Gods
PM: 7 miles (1:00) CRC run
Thu-PM1: 23 miles (3:02) Mt. Buckhorn
PM2: 4 miles (:34) CRC Holiday Party
Fri-AM: 10 miles (1:35) Red Rocks Canyon
Sat-AM: 30 miles (4:20) Garden-Intemann-Sect. 16-High Dr-Gold Camp-Stratton
Sun-AM: 20 miles (3:06) LRR-Bob's-Barr Camp
PM: 7 miles (1:01) Monument
Total: 142 miles (20:11)
Obviously, a great week. First real week of running in a long time; if things can continue to go this well, Rocky will be fun. Also, I am now 100% completely injury-free!
PM: 4 miles (:30)
Tue-AM: 7 miles (1:00)
Wed-AM: 15 miles (2:03) Garden of the Gods
PM: 7 miles (1:00) CRC run
Thu-PM1: 23 miles (3:02) Mt. Buckhorn
PM2: 4 miles (:34) CRC Holiday Party
Fri-AM: 10 miles (1:35) Red Rocks Canyon
Sat-AM: 30 miles (4:20) Garden-Intemann-Sect. 16-High Dr-Gold Camp-Stratton
Sun-AM: 20 miles (3:06) LRR-Bob's-Barr Camp
PM: 7 miles (1:01) Monument
Total: 142 miles (20:11)
Obviously, a great week. First real week of running in a long time; if things can continue to go this well, Rocky will be fun. Also, I am now 100% completely injury-free!
Sunday December 16, 2007
AM- 20 miles (3:06) Longs Ranch Road to Bob's Road to Barr Camp and down to Manitou (PC II)
PM- 7 miles (1:01) Monument Loops (New Balance RC152)
This morning was a great run with the Incline Club. I didn't run over to Manitou because I had to be to work at noon and because I decided I should split up my 4hrs of running today just to be on the careful side.
After getting a couple minutes late start because I was stripping off my tights (correctly anticipating a warm day in the mountains) I spent the run up the Ute Pass Trail (UPT) catching up to and passing a lot of runners, including Dan Vega and Kelli Lusk.
Once I turned onto LRR, the powdery ankle-deep snow and steep terrain had me grunting and cursing, and despite the wind I was soon grinding along in shirt-sleeves. At the top I took Bob's Road over to Barr Trail and up to Barr Camp. After the snow and radical incline of LRR, the packed down Barr Trail felt positively flat. It is amazing to me that I can still run to 10,200 feet (because the trail was so well-packed) on trails in December---it's hard to beat the Pikes Peak massif for training.
After chatting with Neal and Teresa Taylor (the caretakers at Barr Camp--Neal finished his 10th Leadville 100 this summer), eating one of Teresa's scrumptious pancakes, and quaffing a free Gatorade in exchange for carrying a bag of trash back down to Manitou, Steve Bremner and I enjoyed a brilliant run back down to the city on Barr Trail. I love that trail.
In the evening, Jocelyn and I went for a quick jaunt around Monument Valley Park in the dark (we didn't get out until 7:30pm). My legs were a bit tired (mostly from standing up all afternoon working at the CRC), but mostly I noticed that my New Balance flats are on their last legs (they only have about 360 miles on them, but pretty soon I will have worn a hole completely through the bottom of the right one). All in all, a great day of running.
PM- 7 miles (1:01) Monument Loops (New Balance RC152)
This morning was a great run with the Incline Club. I didn't run over to Manitou because I had to be to work at noon and because I decided I should split up my 4hrs of running today just to be on the careful side.
After getting a couple minutes late start because I was stripping off my tights (correctly anticipating a warm day in the mountains) I spent the run up the Ute Pass Trail (UPT) catching up to and passing a lot of runners, including Dan Vega and Kelli Lusk.
Once I turned onto LRR, the powdery ankle-deep snow and steep terrain had me grunting and cursing, and despite the wind I was soon grinding along in shirt-sleeves. At the top I took Bob's Road over to Barr Trail and up to Barr Camp. After the snow and radical incline of LRR, the packed down Barr Trail felt positively flat. It is amazing to me that I can still run to 10,200 feet (because the trail was so well-packed) on trails in December---it's hard to beat the Pikes Peak massif for training.
After chatting with Neal and Teresa Taylor (the caretakers at Barr Camp--Neal finished his 10th Leadville 100 this summer), eating one of Teresa's scrumptious pancakes, and quaffing a free Gatorade in exchange for carrying a bag of trash back down to Manitou, Steve Bremner and I enjoyed a brilliant run back down to the city on Barr Trail. I love that trail.
In the evening, Jocelyn and I went for a quick jaunt around Monument Valley Park in the dark (we didn't get out until 7:30pm). My legs were a bit tired (mostly from standing up all afternoon working at the CRC), but mostly I noticed that my New Balance flats are on their last legs (they only have about 360 miles on them, but pretty soon I will have worn a hole completely through the bottom of the right one). All in all, a great day of running.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Saturday December 15, 2007
30 miles (4:20) Garden-Intemann-Section 16 (steep way)-High Drive-Gold Camp-Stratton (PC II)
What a great great run. Runs like this are a huge reason why I moved back to Colorado Springs. Even though there was only about 3000' total climbing (split mostly between two successive ~1500' climbs, Section 16 and High Drive) this run still offered awesome scenery, very little asphalt and completely runnable, mostly packed trails (despite all the snow) right from my front doorstep. High Drive was actually a little rough because all the wind last night blew some big drifts into the packed down trail, but all in all it was a great run. Oh yeah, and even though it was about 10F last night, I was able to wear shorts and strip down to shirt-sleeves for the second half of this run because the sunshine was so brilliant. After Bozeman, I will never take seemingly insignificant details like that for granted again.
I felt really good on this run, too, despite being up pretty late last night. My legs were peppy right from the start (started out with Ashley and Jocelyn) and I kept a much more honest pace all day than I usually do on long runs. Also, the Pumas are a great shoe. I almost want to wear them for Rocky...
What a great great run. Runs like this are a huge reason why I moved back to Colorado Springs. Even though there was only about 3000' total climbing (split mostly between two successive ~1500' climbs, Section 16 and High Drive) this run still offered awesome scenery, very little asphalt and completely runnable, mostly packed trails (despite all the snow) right from my front doorstep. High Drive was actually a little rough because all the wind last night blew some big drifts into the packed down trail, but all in all it was a great run. Oh yeah, and even though it was about 10F last night, I was able to wear shorts and strip down to shirt-sleeves for the second half of this run because the sunshine was so brilliant. After Bozeman, I will never take seemingly insignificant details like that for granted again.
I felt really good on this run, too, despite being up pretty late last night. My legs were peppy right from the start (started out with Ashley and Jocelyn) and I kept a much more honest pace all day than I usually do on long runs. Also, the Pumas are a great shoe. I almost want to wear them for Rocky...
Friday December 14, 2007
AM- 10 miles (1:35) Red Rocks Canyon+Intemann Trail (PC II)
This run is a testament to the great trails in Colorado Springs. Red Rocks Canyon is a relatively new open space that was saved from development (it's prime real estate with great views of the Rampart Range and Garden of the Gods), and with it being only a 5 minute drive from downtown (you could run there completely on trails, but it would take an hour or so---or, 30 minutes on the streets), Jocelyn and I were able to go put in a stunningly scenic run for my weekly easy day. I am so lucky--just click the link and check out some pictures of the place in the gallery. Even though the run was a little cold and breezy, it was neat to be able to watch the snow clouds progressively come down from the mountains. They never quite made it all the way to town, though.
Afterwards, we went out and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon at Agia Sophia--a quaint little coffee/book shop on the west edge of Old Colorado City (and, just across the highway from Red Rocks). Although I could do without its ubiquitous Jesus iconagraphy, I really like the hushed atmosphere, the plush leather couches, and the reasonably-priced menu.
This run is a testament to the great trails in Colorado Springs. Red Rocks Canyon is a relatively new open space that was saved from development (it's prime real estate with great views of the Rampart Range and Garden of the Gods), and with it being only a 5 minute drive from downtown (you could run there completely on trails, but it would take an hour or so---or, 30 minutes on the streets), Jocelyn and I were able to go put in a stunningly scenic run for my weekly easy day. I am so lucky--just click the link and check out some pictures of the place in the gallery. Even though the run was a little cold and breezy, it was neat to be able to watch the snow clouds progressively come down from the mountains. They never quite made it all the way to town, though.
Afterwards, we went out and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon at Agia Sophia--a quaint little coffee/book shop on the west edge of Old Colorado City (and, just across the highway from Red Rocks). Although I could do without its ubiquitous Jesus iconagraphy, I really like the hushed atmosphere, the plush leather couches, and the reasonably-priced menu.
Thursday December 13, 2007
1PM- 23 miles (3:02) Mt. Buckhorn (Puma Cortland II)
6PM- 4 miles (:34) Colorado Running Company (CRC) Holiday Party Run (PC II)
Today's first run was such a delight. Mt. Buckhorn is an ~8300' peak near Bear Creek Canyon; this run is the basis of my training in the winter time because it offers a ~2000' climb (over about 3.5 miles) in the middle of a 3hr run from my front doorstep in downtown Colorado Springs on a gravel road (High Drive--closed to cars in the winter) that remains runnable basically year round because it sees lots of foot traffic. The final mile or so to the summit of the mountain is on the Upper Captain Jacks trail from the top of High Drive.
The base of High Drive is also an excellent gateway to the plethora of trails in Bear Creek/Cheyenne Canyon (Intemann, Section 16, 666 (El Diablo), Captain Jacks, Gold Camp, etc.). After being in Bozeman, I can really really appreciate the easy access opportunities these trails provide, even in the wintertime. It takes about 1hr of running (completely on trails from downtown COS---this is huge) to get to the base of the climb in the mountains, but this is usually how much warm-up time I require before really being ready to tackle the uphill.
Anyways, I didn't get out the door to run until this afternoon because I was working at the CRC from 9am-1pm and because when I went to go running this morning at 5am I couldn't find the key that is needed to unlock the front (and back) doors from the inside. Yes, these doors require a key to get out of the house...a little strange. I ended up feeling pretty great for this run (even though I hadn't eaten anything but an apple all day), and then only had about an hour or so until I went back out for the CRC run prior to the Holiday Party.
The CRC Holiday Party is a great running community get-together...I'm pretty sure neither Runner's Roost nor the Boulder Running Company do anything similar, but some of the guests really underline the fact that the CRC is a wonderful ambassador of trail running--Nancy Hobbs, Matt Carpenter, Cindy O'Neill, and Kelli Low were all in attendance.
6PM- 4 miles (:34) Colorado Running Company (CRC) Holiday Party Run (PC II)
Today's first run was such a delight. Mt. Buckhorn is an ~8300' peak near Bear Creek Canyon; this run is the basis of my training in the winter time because it offers a ~2000' climb (over about 3.5 miles) in the middle of a 3hr run from my front doorstep in downtown Colorado Springs on a gravel road (High Drive--closed to cars in the winter) that remains runnable basically year round because it sees lots of foot traffic. The final mile or so to the summit of the mountain is on the Upper Captain Jacks trail from the top of High Drive.
The base of High Drive is also an excellent gateway to the plethora of trails in Bear Creek/Cheyenne Canyon (Intemann, Section 16, 666 (El Diablo), Captain Jacks, Gold Camp, etc.). After being in Bozeman, I can really really appreciate the easy access opportunities these trails provide, even in the wintertime. It takes about 1hr of running (completely on trails from downtown COS---this is huge) to get to the base of the climb in the mountains, but this is usually how much warm-up time I require before really being ready to tackle the uphill.
Anyways, I didn't get out the door to run until this afternoon because I was working at the CRC from 9am-1pm and because when I went to go running this morning at 5am I couldn't find the key that is needed to unlock the front (and back) doors from the inside. Yes, these doors require a key to get out of the house...a little strange. I ended up feeling pretty great for this run (even though I hadn't eaten anything but an apple all day), and then only had about an hour or so until I went back out for the CRC run prior to the Holiday Party.
The CRC Holiday Party is a great running community get-together...I'm pretty sure neither Runner's Roost nor the Boulder Running Company do anything similar, but some of the guests really underline the fact that the CRC is a wonderful ambassador of trail running--Nancy Hobbs, Matt Carpenter, Cindy O'Neill, and Kelli Low were all in attendance.
Wednesday December 12, 2007
AM- 15 miles (2:03) Garden of the Gods (Sportiva Slingshots)
PM- 7 miles (1:00) Colorado Running Company Social run =Shooks Loop (Puma Cortland II)
It's so great to be back in Colorado Springs! Even though COS has gotten a decent amount of snow the last few days, everything was packed down enough to make running very doable...it was even warm enough to be wearing shorts! The run this morning in the Garden was gorgeous: there aren't many things I enjoy more than a jaunt through the snow-covered red rocks and evergreens there. I felt so privileged to be back on my favorite trails.
The evening's run was an easy loop on the standard Shook's Run Loop. It was great to see some of the familiar faces while having a beer afterwards.
PM- 7 miles (1:00) Colorado Running Company Social run =Shooks Loop (Puma Cortland II)
It's so great to be back in Colorado Springs! Even though COS has gotten a decent amount of snow the last few days, everything was packed down enough to make running very doable...it was even warm enough to be wearing shorts! The run this morning in the Garden was gorgeous: there aren't many things I enjoy more than a jaunt through the snow-covered red rocks and evergreens there. I felt so privileged to be back on my favorite trails.
The evening's run was an easy loop on the standard Shook's Run Loop. It was great to see some of the familiar faces while having a beer afterwards.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Tuesday December 11, 2007
7 miles (1:00) Painted Hills Connector (Raceblades)
Geezus, it was cold this morning. That's really about all there is to say. Ran at 5:30am before class so I could hit the road right afterwards. Legs felt awkward in the Race Blades. Right hip flexor also tight.
Geezus, it was cold this morning. That's really about all there is to say. Ran at 5:30am before class so I could hit the road right afterwards. Legs felt awkward in the Race Blades. Right hip flexor also tight.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Monday December 10, 2007
AM- 15 miles (2:00) Sourdough to Sundance Trails out and back (Puma Cortland II)
PM- 4 miles (:30) city streets to the grocery store and back
This morning's run was crazy. It started out tame enough, but about 30 minutes in the skies opened up and it snowed maybe the hardest I've ever seen for the remainder of the run. When I began there was a negligible skiff of new snow, but by the end ~4 inches of powder had fallen...in less than 2 hours!
My foot was pretty much the same on this run: started out a little tight, but completely fine the second half. It was a lot of fun to explore the Sundance Trail...I'd never been on it before and it's a nice little trail tucked in next to a spring. Even though my legs didn't feel great this morning, I was in a great mood. By the end, I was belting out Animal Collective's Winter's Love at the top of my lungs...an appropriate little ditty considering the conditions (if you click the link, be sure it's with an open mind and wait until at least the 2:35 mark before giving up...you won't regret it...).
In the evening, I decided it was time to do my first two-a-day, mostly because I'll be shortening my run tomorrow morning (in order to get on the road for a long day of driving), but also because I needed to go to the grocery story to get some trail mix (so I don't fall asleep in the car tomorrow). I tried out my (drastically altered) Race Blades for the first half of the run, but they weren't really happening, so I changed back into the Pumas for the 2nd half. Despite the slick footing, it was a very peaceful run in the dark.
The last seven days have been 115 miles, so I think it's safe to say that I'm back! However, it's crazy how this amount of mileage barely even feels like training to me. I'm certainly not in good shape, but I think my body has undergone some type of permanent adaptation as a result of the several bouts of extremely high mileage that it's experienced over the past three years--here's to hoping that I exercise a little discipline in the coming weeks and months!
PM- 4 miles (:30) city streets to the grocery store and back
This morning's run was crazy. It started out tame enough, but about 30 minutes in the skies opened up and it snowed maybe the hardest I've ever seen for the remainder of the run. When I began there was a negligible skiff of new snow, but by the end ~4 inches of powder had fallen...in less than 2 hours!
My foot was pretty much the same on this run: started out a little tight, but completely fine the second half. It was a lot of fun to explore the Sundance Trail...I'd never been on it before and it's a nice little trail tucked in next to a spring. Even though my legs didn't feel great this morning, I was in a great mood. By the end, I was belting out Animal Collective's Winter's Love at the top of my lungs...an appropriate little ditty considering the conditions (if you click the link, be sure it's with an open mind and wait until at least the 2:35 mark before giving up...you won't regret it...).
In the evening, I decided it was time to do my first two-a-day, mostly because I'll be shortening my run tomorrow morning (in order to get on the road for a long day of driving), but also because I needed to go to the grocery story to get some trail mix (so I don't fall asleep in the car tomorrow). I tried out my (drastically altered) Race Blades for the first half of the run, but they weren't really happening, so I changed back into the Pumas for the 2nd half. Despite the slick footing, it was a very peaceful run in the dark.
The last seven days have been 115 miles, so I think it's safe to say that I'm back! However, it's crazy how this amount of mileage barely even feels like training to me. I'm certainly not in good shape, but I think my body has undergone some type of permanent adaptation as a result of the several bouts of extremely high mileage that it's experienced over the past three years--here's to hoping that I exercise a little discipline in the coming weeks and months!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Week Log 12/3-12/9
Mon-0
Tue-8 miles (1:07)
Wed-13 miles (1:42)
Thu-18 miles (2:22)
Fri-15 miles (2:03)
Sat-20 miles (2:43)
Sun-22 miles (3:01)
Total: 96 miles (12:58)
Obviously, a good week. Wow, way better than I'd expected actually...I didn't know I was that close to 100. Next week I plan to maintain through the first half of the week (assuming the foot stays fine) while moving back to CO, and then hopefully pick it up with CRUD tempo on Thursday morning and some fantastic MOUNTAIN runs on the weekend!
Tue-8 miles (1:07)
Wed-13 miles (1:42)
Thu-18 miles (2:22)
Fri-15 miles (2:03)
Sat-20 miles (2:43)
Sun-22 miles (3:01)
Total: 96 miles (12:58)
Obviously, a good week. Wow, way better than I'd expected actually...I didn't know I was that close to 100. Next week I plan to maintain through the first half of the week (assuming the foot stays fine) while moving back to CO, and then hopefully pick it up with CRUD tempo on Thursday morning and some fantastic MOUNTAIN runs on the weekend!
Sunday December 9, 2007
22 miles 3:01 Cherry River-Painted Hills-Peet's Hill (Puma Cortland II)
I guess I was getting tired of doing the same exact run every day, so I passed up the Story Hills and headed out to the Painted Hills single track after making my customary loop down by the East Gallatin. The morning started off brilliantly cold (-5F) but seemed to warm up pretty quickly and by the end I was stripping off my hat, gloves, unzipping the jacket, etc. My legs started out feeling pretty good, but I was definitely getting that great achey feeling in them by the end.
absolutely cannot wait to get back to Colorado to check out my old haunts of High Drive, Mt Buckhorn, 666 Trail, Garden of the Gods, and Section 16. This isn't a case of thinking the grass is greener--I know the grass is greener in Colorado Springs. Put it this way: I didn't move to Montana for the running, and I was sad to leave Colorado back at the end of the summer because in my mind (even then, when I was living there) west-side Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs offers an almost unbeatable variety of trails, basically year-round. And, at this point in my life, running is larely what I do, so the venues are pretty important to me.
The foot felt pretty much the same today. It always feels basically 100% the 2nd half of the run. As long as it doesn't get any worse (in fact, it seems to be getting ever so gradually better) I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.
I guess I was getting tired of doing the same exact run every day, so I passed up the Story Hills and headed out to the Painted Hills single track after making my customary loop down by the East Gallatin. The morning started off brilliantly cold (-5F) but seemed to warm up pretty quickly and by the end I was stripping off my hat, gloves, unzipping the jacket, etc. My legs started out feeling pretty good, but I was definitely getting that great achey feeling in them by the end.
absolutely cannot wait to get back to Colorado to check out my old haunts of High Drive, Mt Buckhorn, 666 Trail, Garden of the Gods, and Section 16. This isn't a case of thinking the grass is greener--I know the grass is greener in Colorado Springs. Put it this way: I didn't move to Montana for the running, and I was sad to leave Colorado back at the end of the summer because in my mind (even then, when I was living there) west-side Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs offers an almost unbeatable variety of trails, basically year-round. And, at this point in my life, running is larely what I do, so the venues are pretty important to me.
The foot felt pretty much the same today. It always feels basically 100% the 2nd half of the run. As long as it doesn't get any worse (in fact, it seems to be getting ever so gradually better) I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Saturday December 8, 2007
20 miles 2:43 Cherry River+Story Hills (Puma Cortland II)
The wind made it plenty cold this morning. My foot felt great after an hour or so, and I had a lot of fun exploring up in some new areas of the Story Hills. There wasn't really anything significant about this run except that it was finally of decent length with my foot still feeling fine.
The wind made it plenty cold this morning. My foot felt great after an hour or so, and I had a lot of fun exploring up in some new areas of the Story Hills. There wasn't really anything significant about this run except that it was finally of decent length with my foot still feeling fine.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Friday December 7, 2007
15 miles 2:03 Cherry River+Story Hills (Puma Cortland II)
God, it was cold this morning; 7 degrees, but up in the hills the wind was blowing like no other and I didn't have a jacket on so things were getting pretty dire. This morning, my ankle seemed a little bit more sore than usual, but the foot was a little better--for some reason I'd rather have the ankle hurt than the foot. Pretty tired this morning--probably because I didn't run until the afternoon yesterday and didn't get to bed until late last night, so the pace was considerably slower than yesterday. Still, all in all a good run, but I'm already getting tired of running these same trails over and over because everything good is completely snowed in. A major plus was running through the very narrow, forested trails down by the East Gallatin River---I felt like I was in a painting the way that the snow was stuck to everything like giant tufts of cotton.
God, it was cold this morning; 7 degrees, but up in the hills the wind was blowing like no other and I didn't have a jacket on so things were getting pretty dire. This morning, my ankle seemed a little bit more sore than usual, but the foot was a little better--for some reason I'd rather have the ankle hurt than the foot. Pretty tired this morning--probably because I didn't run until the afternoon yesterday and didn't get to bed until late last night, so the pace was considerably slower than yesterday. Still, all in all a good run, but I'm already getting tired of running these same trails over and over because everything good is completely snowed in. A major plus was running through the very narrow, forested trails down by the East Gallatin River---I felt like I was in a painting the way that the snow was stuck to everything like giant tufts of cotton.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Thursday December 6, 2007
18 miles 2:22 Cherry Creek to Story Hills (Puma Cortland II)
I didn't run first thing this morning because I had to get an early start on polishing some rock samples before being able to look at them on the scanning electron microscope (SEM) later today. However, when I woke up it was dumping snow, and I was kinda glad to put my run off until the early afternoon.
As it was, I got out the door at 1pm. It had stopped snowing and a fresh 5-6" had turned everything back into a glorious winter wonderland; I love how pristine everything looks after a fresh snowfall. This ended up being a good run. For the first hour or so I was a tiny bit hesitant about my foot, but around 1:20 it felt completely fine and basically didn't hurt the rest of the run. That happened around the 1:20 mark yesterday too, so I don't know what's going on. The climb up the Story Hills gravel road was solid and it was a blast floating back down the trail in the fresh powder. All in all, I kept the pace very honest on this run.
I didn't run first thing this morning because I had to get an early start on polishing some rock samples before being able to look at them on the scanning electron microscope (SEM) later today. However, when I woke up it was dumping snow, and I was kinda glad to put my run off until the early afternoon.
As it was, I got out the door at 1pm. It had stopped snowing and a fresh 5-6" had turned everything back into a glorious winter wonderland; I love how pristine everything looks after a fresh snowfall. This ended up being a good run. For the first hour or so I was a tiny bit hesitant about my foot, but around 1:20 it felt completely fine and basically didn't hurt the rest of the run. That happened around the 1:20 mark yesterday too, so I don't know what's going on. The climb up the Story Hills gravel road was solid and it was a blast floating back down the trail in the fresh powder. All in all, I kept the pace very honest on this run.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Wednesday December 5, 2007
13 miles 1:42 Story Hills (Puma Cortland II)
This was a good run. The foot never really got worse, but there were some occasional tweaks in there; however, only after some serious self-discipline did I decide to not go the full two hours. I just figured I'd rather go a bit shorter today and still be able to run later in the week.
It was a lot of fun exploring around up there---there is a solid amount of nice little cow paths, pickup doubletracks, etc. but it seems like a fair amount of it might be on private land. Anyways, hopefully the improvement continues with the foot.
This was a good run. The foot never really got worse, but there were some occasional tweaks in there; however, only after some serious self-discipline did I decide to not go the full two hours. I just figured I'd rather go a bit shorter today and still be able to run later in the week.
It was a lot of fun exploring around up there---there is a solid amount of nice little cow paths, pickup doubletracks, etc. but it seems like a fair amount of it might be on private land. Anyways, hopefully the improvement continues with the foot.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tuesday December 4, 2007
8 miles 1:07 Peet's Hill/Lindley Park/Gallagator Trail (Puma Cortland II's)
Ended up just sort of tooling around on the nearby trails. The foot seemed okay on this run. The run didn't make my foot feel any worse--there's just a little twinge in there anyhow--so I'm just going to try to build up slowly the rest of this week and not stress it too much.
There has been a minor melt here in Bozeman...temps have been in the 30s the last couple of days so now there's tons of slush and ice covered in water, which just might be the slickest surface I've ever experienced.
Ended up just sort of tooling around on the nearby trails. The foot seemed okay on this run. The run didn't make my foot feel any worse--there's just a little twinge in there anyhow--so I'm just going to try to build up slowly the rest of this week and not stress it too much.
There has been a minor melt here in Bozeman...temps have been in the 30s the last couple of days so now there's tons of slush and ice covered in water, which just might be the slickest surface I've ever experienced.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Western States Lottery Results and...a Rant.
As anyone who might be reading this blog already knows, the Western States Lottery was this past weekend. I won’t get into the specifics of the process, nor the history of the event as perfectly good accounts of both can be found other places. However, also as many already know, a number of who some might consider to be “top runners” (most prominently, I suppose, being Karl Meltzer, myself, and Leigh Schmitt) weren’t picked in the lottery nor allowed entry by the race committee.
Why am I writing about this, and why might this be considered troublesome? Well, it’s my blog and the nature of blog writing is inherently selfish, so I’m going to write about whatever concerns me. And, I guess the main reasons that me not being allowed into Western States concerns me is A) for the selfish reason of my wanting the opportunity to test myself against the stiffest competition available in ultra running, and B) because I love the sport of ultra running and think that some of the actions of several race committees, including Western States, across the country are somewhat hurtful to the sport in general.
I’m not really one who is typically content with the status quo in any situation, and for me, ultra running is no different. I yearn to push the boundaries, explore my limits, and hopefully, be allowed a more intimate glimpse into the core of my being in the process. And all that other cliché stuff (seriously). Although ultra running offers that opportunity to me on many levels, racing is a unique experience. To paraphrase Jenn Shelton, “Running is a way of life, and racing is a celebration of that life.” And, to me, the unique thing about racing is the presence of others—be it spectators, a crew, a pacer, media, other competitors—sharing in that wonderful yet heart-rending experience of plumbing the depths of the soul.
So, my first point is that without sufficient competition a race loses a whole bundle of its meaning for me. In order to inspire my absolute best performance, in order to truly fulfill my potential, in order to be allowed that aforementioned privileged view with the utmost clarity, I need others of equal or greater ability out there pushing me to step as close to the edge as possible, to achieve the most pristine look afforded to only the truly brave (or, stupid, maybe). I need to be prodded to that terrifying territory where one knows for sure that an inch further and nothing but the great, yawning abyss awaits.
I have only been there but once thus far in my (so far, very short) ultra racing career. It was at 11,400’ on the top of Sugarloaf Pass at about mile 80 of the 2006 Leadville 100. I’d been doing everything in my power to continue simple forward motion ever since leaving the Fish Hatchery aid station at 76.5 miles and having my crew tell me (wrongly) that Steve Peterson was only 20 minutes behind me. As shitty as I was feeling, I knew that if I wanted to maintain my lead I needed to go as hard as possible. All I’ll say is that crazy things happened on top of that mountain, and if you’re an ultra runner I don’t really need to tell you about them, because you already know. But, the point is, I never would’ve accessed that raw, primitive, unadulterated portion of my being if I hadn’t been forced to by the (albeit, false) pressure of knowing that a 5-time Leadville champion was hot on my trail (Steve was actually nearly an hour back at that point).
The two other 100 milers that I’ve had the pleasure of finishing since that first finish at Leadville have done far less to throw my psyche into such a clarifying frenzy. They were both certainly a measure more comfortable, but consequently, a touch less fulfilling. (But, only a touch…a very, very light touch.) Maybe the experience of a first 100 mile finish can never be regained, but I do know that I have disappointingly been unable to give my absolute best effort at either subsequent event because of a lack of competition. So, I primarily plan my racing schedule by looking for the competition that will force me back to that rare position on the edge of the precipice.
Western States clearly offers the competition this year to provide that kind of race, but it saddens me to think just how great the field could be at Western States in 2008.
The second part to all of this is that I think not promoting the top competition possible at any given ultra is actually a disservice to the sport and the mid- and back-of-the-packers that compose the majority of any race field. What, you say? Aren’t you being a bit elitist by calling for all these concessions for the top athletes? Yes, I can see that point of view, and I think that I understand the importance of essentially treating all runners in a race “the same.” There certainly seems to be a noble egalitarianism in it. Plus, I have spent many years as a mid- and even back-of-the-pack runner. The only thing I need to do to ever get humbled is go jump in the average big-city road marathon or even the average NCAA Division III Cross Country meet. The depth of decently good runners in this country is absurd and I am nowhere near the top.
However, even though I am a mid-packer in either of those types of races, I don’t feel any such sentiment that, in order to treat me more “fairly”, the race directors should block the admittance of the truly top runners. In fact, one of the coolest things about going and running a big-city marathon for me is that I get to toe the same line as any of the East African runners—the best runners on the planet—and run the same race as them. That is the essential beauty of our sport.
This type of fraternity is magnified in the ultra running scene because the top runners in ultra running are just normal dudes (and chicks) and don’t have a hard time relating to slower (but no less committed or passionate) ultra runners. I don’t really understand how giving other ultra runners the opportunity to be in the same competition while something historic occurs up front is treating those mid-pack runners unfairly. Some day, I would love to be running in the Berlin or London or Chicago marathon at which the world record is being set.
I think the same sort of thing is true in ultra running. When the tight-knit community finds out that some big face-off is going down (e.g. Scott and Karl at Hardrock last summer, or Uli and Matt at the TNF 50 this past weekend) everyone gets excited and wishes that they could be there so that when they finish their races a few hours later they might actually have the opportunity to share a beer with them or ask them how many gels they ate per hour or if they had any rough patches and what they did to get through them. The ultra running community is a wonderfully intimate one and I don’t think allowing more heated competitions to occur more often is going to change that.
Now. As for the current Western States field, it’s going to be a barn-burner. Here is my list of notable runners currently in the race (I really hope I didn’t miss anyone):
Women
Bev Anderson-Abbs (2nd Woman and 13th overall last year)
Meghan Arbogast (1st overall at Where’s Waldo 100K this year)
Michelle Barton (2006 Javelina Jundred Champion)
Annette Bednosky (2005 WS Champion)
Chrissy Ferguson (too lazy to look anything up...)
Devon Crosby-Helms (2007 US World 100K team)
Nikki Kimball (2007 WS Champ and 8th overall…among other things…)
Caren Spore (perennial top-3 finisher in races)
Men
Josh Brimhall (2nd at 2006 San Diego 100, 1st 2006 Zane Grey)
Graham Cooper (2006 WS Champion, 3rd 2007 WS)
Mark Godale (2007 Burning River 100 Champion)
Hiroki Ishikawa (8th 2007 WS, 1st 2007 Grand Slam)
Andy Jones-Wilkins (4th 2007 WS, 1st 2007 VT, 1st 2007 Teton, 2nd 2007 JJ)
Hal Koerner (defending WS Champ)
Sean Meissner (damn you, laziness...)
Zach Miller (2007 Mt. Masochist Champ, 2nd 2007 JFK…never worse than 2nd in a 50)
Brian Morrison (<300y from 2006 WS Champ)
Glen Redpath (6th 2007 WS, 1st Master)
Erik Skaden (2nd 2007 WS, 2007 MUC Champ)
Michael Wardian (2007 JFK Champion, prolific 2:2x marathoner)
Mike Wolfe (2006 & 2007 White River 50 Champ, 2nd 2007 Bighorn 100)
Of course, there are many other possible entries with the remainder of the MUC series…but right now a top-10 finish in this field makes you one heckuva runner (right now, I’m going to say Zach Miller for the win…).
Why am I writing about this, and why might this be considered troublesome? Well, it’s my blog and the nature of blog writing is inherently selfish, so I’m going to write about whatever concerns me. And, I guess the main reasons that me not being allowed into Western States concerns me is A) for the selfish reason of my wanting the opportunity to test myself against the stiffest competition available in ultra running, and B) because I love the sport of ultra running and think that some of the actions of several race committees, including Western States, across the country are somewhat hurtful to the sport in general.
I’m not really one who is typically content with the status quo in any situation, and for me, ultra running is no different. I yearn to push the boundaries, explore my limits, and hopefully, be allowed a more intimate glimpse into the core of my being in the process. And all that other cliché stuff (seriously). Although ultra running offers that opportunity to me on many levels, racing is a unique experience. To paraphrase Jenn Shelton, “Running is a way of life, and racing is a celebration of that life.” And, to me, the unique thing about racing is the presence of others—be it spectators, a crew, a pacer, media, other competitors—sharing in that wonderful yet heart-rending experience of plumbing the depths of the soul.
So, my first point is that without sufficient competition a race loses a whole bundle of its meaning for me. In order to inspire my absolute best performance, in order to truly fulfill my potential, in order to be allowed that aforementioned privileged view with the utmost clarity, I need others of equal or greater ability out there pushing me to step as close to the edge as possible, to achieve the most pristine look afforded to only the truly brave (or, stupid, maybe). I need to be prodded to that terrifying territory where one knows for sure that an inch further and nothing but the great, yawning abyss awaits.
I have only been there but once thus far in my (so far, very short) ultra racing career. It was at 11,400’ on the top of Sugarloaf Pass at about mile 80 of the 2006 Leadville 100. I’d been doing everything in my power to continue simple forward motion ever since leaving the Fish Hatchery aid station at 76.5 miles and having my crew tell me (wrongly) that Steve Peterson was only 20 minutes behind me. As shitty as I was feeling, I knew that if I wanted to maintain my lead I needed to go as hard as possible. All I’ll say is that crazy things happened on top of that mountain, and if you’re an ultra runner I don’t really need to tell you about them, because you already know. But, the point is, I never would’ve accessed that raw, primitive, unadulterated portion of my being if I hadn’t been forced to by the (albeit, false) pressure of knowing that a 5-time Leadville champion was hot on my trail (Steve was actually nearly an hour back at that point).
The two other 100 milers that I’ve had the pleasure of finishing since that first finish at Leadville have done far less to throw my psyche into such a clarifying frenzy. They were both certainly a measure more comfortable, but consequently, a touch less fulfilling. (But, only a touch…a very, very light touch.) Maybe the experience of a first 100 mile finish can never be regained, but I do know that I have disappointingly been unable to give my absolute best effort at either subsequent event because of a lack of competition. So, I primarily plan my racing schedule by looking for the competition that will force me back to that rare position on the edge of the precipice.
Western States clearly offers the competition this year to provide that kind of race, but it saddens me to think just how great the field could be at Western States in 2008.
The second part to all of this is that I think not promoting the top competition possible at any given ultra is actually a disservice to the sport and the mid- and back-of-the-packers that compose the majority of any race field. What, you say? Aren’t you being a bit elitist by calling for all these concessions for the top athletes? Yes, I can see that point of view, and I think that I understand the importance of essentially treating all runners in a race “the same.” There certainly seems to be a noble egalitarianism in it. Plus, I have spent many years as a mid- and even back-of-the-pack runner. The only thing I need to do to ever get humbled is go jump in the average big-city road marathon or even the average NCAA Division III Cross Country meet. The depth of decently good runners in this country is absurd and I am nowhere near the top.
However, even though I am a mid-packer in either of those types of races, I don’t feel any such sentiment that, in order to treat me more “fairly”, the race directors should block the admittance of the truly top runners. In fact, one of the coolest things about going and running a big-city marathon for me is that I get to toe the same line as any of the East African runners—the best runners on the planet—and run the same race as them. That is the essential beauty of our sport.
This type of fraternity is magnified in the ultra running scene because the top runners in ultra running are just normal dudes (and chicks) and don’t have a hard time relating to slower (but no less committed or passionate) ultra runners. I don’t really understand how giving other ultra runners the opportunity to be in the same competition while something historic occurs up front is treating those mid-pack runners unfairly. Some day, I would love to be running in the Berlin or London or Chicago marathon at which the world record is being set.
I think the same sort of thing is true in ultra running. When the tight-knit community finds out that some big face-off is going down (e.g. Scott and Karl at Hardrock last summer, or Uli and Matt at the TNF 50 this past weekend) everyone gets excited and wishes that they could be there so that when they finish their races a few hours later they might actually have the opportunity to share a beer with them or ask them how many gels they ate per hour or if they had any rough patches and what they did to get through them. The ultra running community is a wonderfully intimate one and I don’t think allowing more heated competitions to occur more often is going to change that.
Now. As for the current Western States field, it’s going to be a barn-burner. Here is my list of notable runners currently in the race (I really hope I didn’t miss anyone):
Women
Bev Anderson-Abbs (2nd Woman and 13th overall last year)
Meghan Arbogast (1st overall at Where’s Waldo 100K this year)
Michelle Barton (2006 Javelina Jundred Champion)
Annette Bednosky (2005 WS Champion)
Chrissy Ferguson (too lazy to look anything up...)
Devon Crosby-Helms (2007 US World 100K team)
Nikki Kimball (2007 WS Champ and 8th overall…among other things…)
Caren Spore (perennial top-3 finisher in races)
Men
Josh Brimhall (2nd at 2006 San Diego 100, 1st 2006 Zane Grey)
Graham Cooper (2006 WS Champion, 3rd 2007 WS)
Mark Godale (2007 Burning River 100 Champion)
Hiroki Ishikawa (8th 2007 WS, 1st 2007 Grand Slam)
Andy Jones-Wilkins (4th 2007 WS, 1st 2007 VT, 1st 2007 Teton, 2nd 2007 JJ)
Hal Koerner (defending WS Champ)
Sean Meissner (damn you, laziness...)
Zach Miller (2007 Mt. Masochist Champ, 2nd 2007 JFK…never worse than 2nd in a 50)
Brian Morrison (<300y from 2006 WS Champ)
Glen Redpath (6th 2007 WS, 1st Master)
Erik Skaden (2nd 2007 WS, 2007 MUC Champ)
Michael Wardian (2007 JFK Champion, prolific 2:2x marathoner)
Mike Wolfe (2006 & 2007 White River 50 Champ, 2nd 2007 Bighorn 100)
Of course, there are many other possible entries with the remainder of the MUC series…but right now a top-10 finish in this field makes you one heckuva runner (right now, I’m going to say Zach Miller for the win…).
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Week Log 11/26-12/2
Mon-7 miles (1:00)
Tue- 9 miles (1:13)
Wed-10 miles (1:24)
Thu-15 miles (2:05)
Fri-17 miles (2:23) Beacon Hill to M Trail
Sat-22 miles (3:00) Bozeman Creek Canyon
Sun-6 miles (:50)
Total: 86 miles (11:55)
Obviously, this was a great week. I became a real runner again and even though the first half of the week was spent feeling awkward and worrying about my ankle, the second half I started feeling really good on all of my runs. Now, it's just a matter of listening to my foot and becoming 100% healthy so that I can be ready to do some real running once I move back to the balmy climes and clear trails of Colorado Springs in 10 days.
Tue- 9 miles (1:13)
Wed-10 miles (1:24)
Thu-15 miles (2:05)
Fri-17 miles (2:23) Beacon Hill to M Trail
Sat-22 miles (3:00) Bozeman Creek Canyon
Sun-6 miles (:50)
Total: 86 miles (11:55)
Obviously, this was a great week. I became a real runner again and even though the first half of the week was spent feeling awkward and worrying about my ankle, the second half I started feeling really good on all of my runs. Now, it's just a matter of listening to my foot and becoming 100% healthy so that I can be ready to do some real running once I move back to the balmy climes and clear trails of Colorado Springs in 10 days.
Sunday December 2, 2007
6 miles 50min Story Mill out and back (Puma Cortland II)
Brilliant sunshine and -7F degrees this morning. I started out today with the intention of taking an easy day because I've increased the running a whole bunch this week, but I actually ended up going even a little shorter than I'd planned because my tendon in my left foot was protesting a fair amount. It never really got worse as the run went on, I just decided that there was an unacceptable level of discomfort there and that it needed a break. I'll just keep listening to it and see how things feel over the next couple of days. Iced afterwards.
In any event, running shorter than planned this morning has given me some extra time to finish writing my term paper for my Tectonics course.
Brilliant sunshine and -7F degrees this morning. I started out today with the intention of taking an easy day because I've increased the running a whole bunch this week, but I actually ended up going even a little shorter than I'd planned because my tendon in my left foot was protesting a fair amount. It never really got worse as the run went on, I just decided that there was an unacceptable level of discomfort there and that it needed a break. I'll just keep listening to it and see how things feel over the next couple of days. Iced afterwards.
In any event, running shorter than planned this morning has given me some extra time to finish writing my term paper for my Tectonics course.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Saturday December 1, 2007
22 miles 3:00 Sourdough Trail to Bozeman Creek Canyon out and back (Puma Cortland II)
I woke up this morning to -9F temps and falling snow. Gotta love Montana, I suppose. I felt really good on this run despite the chilly weather. I was getting decent purchase on the squeaky cold snow, and because it was the weekend there were very few people up and moving about yet. There are about 4 miles worth of roads to get to the canyon, but then running in the canyon is nice because it's protected from the wind. The trail was about what I expected--probably 6 inches or so of packed snow and a couple inches of new snow. It made for punchy footing, so I only ran about 2 1/4 miles in (there are mile markers) before heading back to town.
I took a gel with me on this run in case anything like yesterday happened, but today I was strong the whole way except for my left hamstring (chronically tight) and my right hip flexor (also been a bit of a problem the last couple of years). Sometimes I think I should give in and just devote myself to a consistent yoga routine...but the thing is, I'd always rather be out running for an extra half hour or hour than stretching.
The ankle was completely fine on this run, but the top of my foot was a little tight every now and then. It's definitely something to do with a tendon there, but at this point it's not really limiting me, so I'll just keep watching it. Iced my whole foot in a cooler of snow-water after the run.
Finally, my name didn't get drawn today in the Western States 100 Lottery...maybe some day I'll find the time to vent my views on the current situation in ultra running of race entry, depth of competition, race fees, etc., etc., but not right now. All I'll say is that I'm not convinced yet to try and qualify for WS by running one of the Montrail Ultra Cup races (Way Too Cool 50K, American River 50, Miwok 100K). Right now, my opinion is that I won't fly across the country to only run 31 miles, AR is too asphalty and flat, and I want to do the Zane Grey 50 instead of Miwok. I'm thinking of maybe entering the Massanutten 100 in May and then hitting up the San Juan 50 in June. Or maybe I'll do just the Bighorn 100. We'll see.
In other news, apparently Uli beat Matt today out at the TNF 50 Championship race. That isn't super surprising to me, but I did expect Matt to come out with the win. Maybe he is finally getting old after all...I'll be interested to hear his take on the race. Unfortunately, I haven't heard any further results from that race, yet.
I woke up this morning to -9F temps and falling snow. Gotta love Montana, I suppose. I felt really good on this run despite the chilly weather. I was getting decent purchase on the squeaky cold snow, and because it was the weekend there were very few people up and moving about yet. There are about 4 miles worth of roads to get to the canyon, but then running in the canyon is nice because it's protected from the wind. The trail was about what I expected--probably 6 inches or so of packed snow and a couple inches of new snow. It made for punchy footing, so I only ran about 2 1/4 miles in (there are mile markers) before heading back to town.
I took a gel with me on this run in case anything like yesterday happened, but today I was strong the whole way except for my left hamstring (chronically tight) and my right hip flexor (also been a bit of a problem the last couple of years). Sometimes I think I should give in and just devote myself to a consistent yoga routine...but the thing is, I'd always rather be out running for an extra half hour or hour than stretching.
The ankle was completely fine on this run, but the top of my foot was a little tight every now and then. It's definitely something to do with a tendon there, but at this point it's not really limiting me, so I'll just keep watching it. Iced my whole foot in a cooler of snow-water after the run.
Finally, my name didn't get drawn today in the Western States 100 Lottery...maybe some day I'll find the time to vent my views on the current situation in ultra running of race entry, depth of competition, race fees, etc., etc., but not right now. All I'll say is that I'm not convinced yet to try and qualify for WS by running one of the Montrail Ultra Cup races (Way Too Cool 50K, American River 50, Miwok 100K). Right now, my opinion is that I won't fly across the country to only run 31 miles, AR is too asphalty and flat, and I want to do the Zane Grey 50 instead of Miwok. I'm thinking of maybe entering the Massanutten 100 in May and then hitting up the San Juan 50 in June. Or maybe I'll do just the Bighorn 100. We'll see.
In other news, apparently Uli beat Matt today out at the TNF 50 Championship race. That isn't super surprising to me, but I did expect Matt to come out with the win. Maybe he is finally getting old after all...I'll be interested to hear his take on the race. Unfortunately, I haven't heard any further results from that race, yet.
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