Ever since I started running for La Sportiva a year ago, Buzz, the mountain running team manager, has been telling me about the new lightweight shoe that the Italians had/have in the works--the Skylite. I began running for Sportiva because of my preference for the Slingshot, but the Skylite was supposed to be even lighter than its 308 gram predecessor. However, not only is Sportiva coming out with the Skylite in a couple of months, they now have available a very similar shoe--the Skylite's fell-running brother, the Crosslite--which is the exact same shoe as the Skylite except for with a much, much more aggressive (read: heavier) outsole.
Nevertheless, after having my appetite whetted at the Summer Outdoor Retailer Show back in August, and then getting another preview when the Colorado Running Company (the store I work at) brought in a couple (very small) pairs of the Crosslite, I was finally able to get a closer look at the Skylites and actually try on a pair of the Crosslites this past week when Kyle and I took a visit to Boulder for a little ultra running get-together with the Boulder Trail Runners.
All of this anticipation may seem a little ridiculous, but trail running shoes are very important to me. First, since shoes are the only really (mostly) necessary piece of running equipment, and because I am a huge nerd of the sport, I naturally am very geeky about my shoes. Additionally, my particular (minimalist) philosophy of running and running footwear lends me to be even more interested in my shoes.
Second, trail running (and especially, trail racing) footwear is an industry and technology in relative infancy. Trail shoes have only been around for really no more than 15 years, and in the beginning they fell into basically two categories: either brown/black road shoes or a glorified hiking boot. Obviously, neither of these categories really did the job.
In the last few years, though, many companies are understanding that a trail shoe needs to be fundamentally different from both road shoes and hiking boots, and Sportiva (along with Inov-8) has been an industry leader in this idea. With shoes like the Raceblade, Fireblade, Slingshot, and now, the Skylite and Crosslite, Sportiva has shown that they realize a trail shoe will deliver more effectively if it has a lower profile (but more dense than a road shoe) midsole, and that the virtually bomb-proof upper of a hiking boot is simply overkill--and hugely detrimental when running uphill--for a trail running shoe.
Most importantly, they are showing deliberate efforts to manufacture actual trail racing shoes, which probably arises from their European, short, fast, hill climb/mountain running roots, as opposed to the American trail ultra running roots of a company like, say, Montrail. (Although, this season Sportiva has obviously made a concerted effort to start significantly supporting the trail ultra running community in earnest through new sponsorship of many of America's top ultra trail runners and of more ultra-distance trail races.)
After meeting with Buzz and Jonathan (the president of La Sportiva, North America) and picking up a couple pairs of Crosslites to take home and try out, I am quite happy with the shoe. The Crosslite is listed as a men's US 9 (sample size) weighing in at 12.42 oz or 352 grams. That is light for a trail shoe, but actually pretty heavy for a road shoe. The Slingshot was advertised as being 308 grams (previously Sportiva's lightest shoe) and the Skylite has been advertised at both 250 grams and 268 grams (depending on the website). That is a legitimately very light trail shoe. The only other shoe on the market that compares is Inov-8's F-lite 250 (250 grams), which is being updated this year with the lighter F-lite 230. When I took my pair of size EU43.5/US10.5 Crosslite's home, they weighed in at 12.5 oz on the CRC's mail scale.
But, then came the time for my personal modifications. After some extensive carving (which I will get into in detail soon), I now have my size 10.5 Crosslite down to ~8.2 oz. Considering that the the size 9 Skylites are supposed to be ~100 grams (almost 4 oz) lighter than the size 9 Crosslite, I hope to get a pair of Skylites down to the high 6, low 7 oz range...even lighter than Inov-8's F-lite 230s. (I haven't seen a pair of the 230s, but my pair of 250s were already so stripped down that there was basically nothing I could do to them to make them much lighter without significantly compromising their structural integrity---plus, I really believe in the value of supporting/representing a company (Sportiva) that I've already developed a very positive relationship with (Buzz is great) and is doing a ton to positively support the sport of trail running in North America.)
On to the modifications (if I can scrounge up a camera from some body I may post some photos in the coming days):
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Week Log 1/7-1/13
Mon-AM: 15 miles (2:05) Garden
PM: 8 miles (1:05)
Tue-AM: 30 miles (4:05) Gold Camp
PM: 4.5 miles (:41)
Wed-AM: 30 miles (4:21) Buckhorn-Intemann-Red Rocks-Garden
PM: 4.5 miles (:40)
Thu-AM: 30 miles (4:10) CRUD Tempo
PM: 5 miles (:41)
Fri- 10 miles (1:31)
Sat- 42 miles (5:34) Rampart Range Road Overlook
Sun- OFF (left shin)
Total: 179 miles (24:53)
I was very pleased with this week until the weekend, obviously. Even without getting a speed session of any kind in on Tuesday, I was very excited with comfortably getting the mid-week volume that I did. The ice and snow definitely hindered the quality, but I'm not too concerned about that---I run to run in the mountains, and I got to do a ton of that this week so it was great.
We'll see how big of a deal the shin turns out to be. I'm fine with taking a few days off--it's not ideal, but preparations rarely are--and I'm just going to try to remind myself to not force anything. If the shin disallows Rocky, so be it; I'm not going to try to get too worked up about it.
Finally, I'm excited about having Kyle in town for the next couple of months---it's fun to get up in the mountains with some company.
PM: 8 miles (1:05)
Tue-AM: 30 miles (4:05) Gold Camp
PM: 4.5 miles (:41)
Wed-AM: 30 miles (4:21) Buckhorn-Intemann-Red Rocks-Garden
PM: 4.5 miles (:40)
Thu-AM: 30 miles (4:10) CRUD Tempo
PM: 5 miles (:41)
Fri- 10 miles (1:31)
Sat- 42 miles (5:34) Rampart Range Road Overlook
Sun- OFF (left shin)
Total: 179 miles (24:53)
I was very pleased with this week until the weekend, obviously. Even without getting a speed session of any kind in on Tuesday, I was very excited with comfortably getting the mid-week volume that I did. The ice and snow definitely hindered the quality, but I'm not too concerned about that---I run to run in the mountains, and I got to do a ton of that this week so it was great.
We'll see how big of a deal the shin turns out to be. I'm fine with taking a few days off--it's not ideal, but preparations rarely are--and I'm just going to try to remind myself to not force anything. If the shin disallows Rocky, so be it; I'm not going to try to get too worked up about it.
Finally, I'm excited about having Kyle in town for the next couple of months---it's fun to get up in the mountains with some company.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Saturday Jan 12, 2008
AM- 42 miles (5:34) Rampart Range Overlook out and back through Manitou (Roclite)
Ran with Kyle and jacked the anterior tibialis in my left shin. That's the short version, I guess.
I woke up this morning and the shin basically wasn't an issue at all, so Kyle and I set out with him planning on 4-5 hours and myself hoping for 7-8 hrs. It was a beautiful morning, so we dropped our long-sleeves right before heading through the Mesas and actually spent a little while later in the day running shirtless. Ah, January in the Springs.
Rampart Range road ended up being a slick, icy, packed snow-fest. Eventually, we just had to accept the slower pace and settle into the rhythm of slipping with every single step. After nearly getting shot up at the shooting range, the road improved marginally with a few gravel patches and the views improved significantly with great overlooks into both Queen's and Williams Canyons.
After almost 3 hours, Kyle and I got to the overlook, ate a gel, packed some snow in our water bottles and then headed back down. Running down was, of course, much faster but with just as frustratingly poor footing. Kyle's Montrail Highlanders seemed to be getting better traction than my Roclites and after a half hour or so I definitely noticed that my left shin was starting to get a bit aggravated and tight.
By time we got back down to the harder packed road by the shooting range I was slipping and sliding everywhere and the shin was getting more and more angry. I thought maybe just the downhill was causing the issue, so Kyle and I parted ways back in the Garden like we'd planned, but when I encountered the next uphill down in Manitou Springs my shin complained in a big way and I simply limped to the nearest pay phone to call Jocelyn to pick me up.
However, somehow Jocelyn and I missed each other and I ended up running the 5 or 6 miles back to campus on the streets; my shin didn't seem to get any worse on the flats, but it was definitely already pretty inflamed. I finished up with a couple extra miles to get my discarded long-sleeve shirt and finally limped back to the Recovery Room for copious amounts of icing.
Needless to say, the shin was swollen and the anterior tibialis tendon was remarkably inflamed. I'll almost certainly take tomorrow off.
Ran with Kyle and jacked the anterior tibialis in my left shin. That's the short version, I guess.
I woke up this morning and the shin basically wasn't an issue at all, so Kyle and I set out with him planning on 4-5 hours and myself hoping for 7-8 hrs. It was a beautiful morning, so we dropped our long-sleeves right before heading through the Mesas and actually spent a little while later in the day running shirtless. Ah, January in the Springs.
Rampart Range road ended up being a slick, icy, packed snow-fest. Eventually, we just had to accept the slower pace and settle into the rhythm of slipping with every single step. After nearly getting shot up at the shooting range, the road improved marginally with a few gravel patches and the views improved significantly with great overlooks into both Queen's and Williams Canyons.
After almost 3 hours, Kyle and I got to the overlook, ate a gel, packed some snow in our water bottles and then headed back down. Running down was, of course, much faster but with just as frustratingly poor footing. Kyle's Montrail Highlanders seemed to be getting better traction than my Roclites and after a half hour or so I definitely noticed that my left shin was starting to get a bit aggravated and tight.
By time we got back down to the harder packed road by the shooting range I was slipping and sliding everywhere and the shin was getting more and more angry. I thought maybe just the downhill was causing the issue, so Kyle and I parted ways back in the Garden like we'd planned, but when I encountered the next uphill down in Manitou Springs my shin complained in a big way and I simply limped to the nearest pay phone to call Jocelyn to pick me up.
However, somehow Jocelyn and I missed each other and I ended up running the 5 or 6 miles back to campus on the streets; my shin didn't seem to get any worse on the flats, but it was definitely already pretty inflamed. I finished up with a couple extra miles to get my discarded long-sleeve shirt and finally limped back to the Recovery Room for copious amounts of icing.
Needless to say, the shin was swollen and the anterior tibialis tendon was remarkably inflamed. I'll almost certainly take tomorrow off.
Friday Jan 11, 2008
AM- 10 miles (1:31) Monument Loops+Rail Road Tracks (PC II)
Ran really easy with Kyle and Jocelyn. By the end of the run my left shin was a bit sore/tight on the front, which is weird because it was such a low-key, short, easy run. I spent a lot of time icing it in the evening, so hopefully it's better in the morning. Also, a pretty windy, blustery day, so I hope tomorrow isn't a repeat of last Saturday's hurricane run.
Ran really easy with Kyle and Jocelyn. By the end of the run my left shin was a bit sore/tight on the front, which is weird because it was such a low-key, short, easy run. I spent a lot of time icing it in the evening, so hopefully it's better in the morning. Also, a pretty windy, blustery day, so I hope tomorrow isn't a repeat of last Saturday's hurricane run.
Thursday Jan 10, 2008
AM- 30 miles (4:10) Cheyenne Canon CRUD Tempo-Stratton-Bear Creek-Monument Loops (Roclite)
PM- 5 miles (:41) North Monument Loop (sz 11 Slingshots)
I woke up at 4:30am feeling pretty tired and it took a while to feel good, especially with the colder temps. Kyle didn't have to be to work at 9am like me, so I was flying solo this morning.
There was a big group at the CRUD tempo workout, but the ice and snow on both the paved and gravel roads were really bad. The Inov-8s were giving me pretty poor traction. As a result, I did the climb in 41:04, but got to the gate in 28:40, so it actually wasn't horribly slow. There were about 6 inches of fresh snow on High Drive, though.
On the run back I spent a lot of time looping through Stratton and Bear Creek and then added on a North Loop to make it the full 30 miles. I'm so lucky to have a job where I can show up a half hour late in order to accommodate spur-of-the-moment decisions like that.
I did the second run in mid-afternoon after getting off work. It was a pretty standard North Loop, but lately I've been questioning the need for that second run when I go for a 4+ hour run in the morning. I think there's some use when the weather is warm enough for it to be barefoot, but this time of year when I'm still just tooling around in shoes I can't think of any real benefit other than to inhibit my recovery (which obviously isn't a benefit).
After the run, Kyle and I went and did some major shopping at the local food co-op and I even picked up a very cheap futon mattress to contribute to the Recovery Room---a great little addition.
PM- 5 miles (:41) North Monument Loop (sz 11 Slingshots)
I woke up at 4:30am feeling pretty tired and it took a while to feel good, especially with the colder temps. Kyle didn't have to be to work at 9am like me, so I was flying solo this morning.
There was a big group at the CRUD tempo workout, but the ice and snow on both the paved and gravel roads were really bad. The Inov-8s were giving me pretty poor traction. As a result, I did the climb in 41:04, but got to the gate in 28:40, so it actually wasn't horribly slow. There were about 6 inches of fresh snow on High Drive, though.
On the run back I spent a lot of time looping through Stratton and Bear Creek and then added on a North Loop to make it the full 30 miles. I'm so lucky to have a job where I can show up a half hour late in order to accommodate spur-of-the-moment decisions like that.
I did the second run in mid-afternoon after getting off work. It was a pretty standard North Loop, but lately I've been questioning the need for that second run when I go for a 4+ hour run in the morning. I think there's some use when the weather is warm enough for it to be barefoot, but this time of year when I'm still just tooling around in shoes I can't think of any real benefit other than to inhibit my recovery (which obviously isn't a benefit).
After the run, Kyle and I went and did some major shopping at the local food co-op and I even picked up a very cheap futon mattress to contribute to the Recovery Room---a great little addition.
Wednesday Jan 9, 2008
AM- 30 miles (4:21) Mt. Buckhorn-Intemann-Red Rocks-Garden+Monument (Inov-8 Roclite 285)
PM- 4.5 miles (:40) CRC Run-North Loop (Roclite)
In the morning, Kyle and I set out to break some trail in the mountains. The run through Bear Creek and up High Drive was pretty tough--it took 45 minutes to make the High Drive climb that is typically a half hour affair. But, the scenery was unparalleled.
Coming back through Intemann, Red Rocks, and the Garden the weather warmed up very nicely and we maintained a fast pace on the more well-packed trails in those areas. After dropping off Kyle at the Recovery Room (what we are calling our apartment since it's basically just a place to eat and sleep in between runs) I continued on for a pretty slothly extra loop around North Monument to get in the 30 miles. We did the whole run without water or gels, so there was a lot of snow-eating going on the second half. The Inov-8 Roclite 285s worked great on this run (Kyle loaned me a pair), but I think I would want to take a little bit of height off the heels.
The evening was just the typical CRC jaunt around North Monument, but the weather had turned snowy and wintry again in the afternoon (right after our morning run). My right shin actually felt pretty good.
PM- 4.5 miles (:40) CRC Run-North Loop (Roclite)
In the morning, Kyle and I set out to break some trail in the mountains. The run through Bear Creek and up High Drive was pretty tough--it took 45 minutes to make the High Drive climb that is typically a half hour affair. But, the scenery was unparalleled.
Coming back through Intemann, Red Rocks, and the Garden the weather warmed up very nicely and we maintained a fast pace on the more well-packed trails in those areas. After dropping off Kyle at the Recovery Room (what we are calling our apartment since it's basically just a place to eat and sleep in between runs) I continued on for a pretty slothly extra loop around North Monument to get in the 30 miles. We did the whole run without water or gels, so there was a lot of snow-eating going on the second half. The Inov-8 Roclite 285s worked great on this run (Kyle loaned me a pair), but I think I would want to take a little bit of height off the heels.
The evening was just the typical CRC jaunt around North Monument, but the weather had turned snowy and wintry again in the afternoon (right after our morning run). My right shin actually felt pretty good.
Tuesday Jan 8, 2008
AM- 30 miles (4:05) Gold Camp out and back+North Monument Loop (sz 11 Slingshots)
PM- 4.5 miles (:41) Safeway and back via Shooks Run (sz 11 Slingshots)
There was so much new snow this morning that I knew I wouldn't be able to do the speedwork I had planned. Instead, I decided to just go enjoy a gorgeous slog through the mountains. After struggling through all the new fluff in Bear Creek I hopped on the freshly-plowed Gold Camp Road and took it all the way to its end at the parking lot. The morning warmed up nicely and the very few tire tracks through the powder made for some nice, sticky footing. I finished up with some speedy (mid to low 7's) miles around the North Monument Loop.
In the evening, Jocelyn, Boggs and I ran up to the Safeway and back on Shooks Run to pick up some ingredients for fondue. By time we got back Kyle had gotten into town, so we all went over to the apartment (really, a tiny little studio) that he and I are sharing rent on, and made some food.
PM- 4.5 miles (:41) Safeway and back via Shooks Run (sz 11 Slingshots)
There was so much new snow this morning that I knew I wouldn't be able to do the speedwork I had planned. Instead, I decided to just go enjoy a gorgeous slog through the mountains. After struggling through all the new fluff in Bear Creek I hopped on the freshly-plowed Gold Camp Road and took it all the way to its end at the parking lot. The morning warmed up nicely and the very few tire tracks through the powder made for some nice, sticky footing. I finished up with some speedy (mid to low 7's) miles around the North Monument Loop.
In the evening, Jocelyn, Boggs and I ran up to the Safeway and back on Shooks Run to pick up some ingredients for fondue. By time we got back Kyle had gotten into town, so we all went over to the apartment (really, a tiny little studio) that he and I are sharing rent on, and made some food.
Monday Jan 7, 2008
AM- 15 miles (2:05) Garden of the Gods (sz 11.5 Slingshots)
PM- 8 miles (1:05) Monument Loops+Beacon Street (sz 11.5 Slingshots)
The morning run was gorgeous with all of the new snow. I didn't feel great, but certainly not horrible, and was just sort of a rote run.
After working at the CRC until 7pm I immediately got out the door for an easy run in still more snow. Probably another 4 inches of snow had fallen since yesterday morning, so it ended up being a very wintry jaunt. My right shin was a bit tight, but not bad.
PM- 8 miles (1:05) Monument Loops+Beacon Street (sz 11.5 Slingshots)
The morning run was gorgeous with all of the new snow. I didn't feel great, but certainly not horrible, and was just sort of a rote run.
After working at the CRC until 7pm I immediately got out the door for an easy run in still more snow. Probably another 4 inches of snow had fallen since yesterday morning, so it ended up being a very wintry jaunt. My right shin was a bit tight, but not bad.
Sunday Jan 6, 2008
AM- 32 miles (4:07) Gold Camp Road out and back+Monument (sz 11 Slingshots)
PM- 10 miles (1:32) Bear Creek-8th St-PPG Trail (sz 11.5 Slingshots)
In the morning, I got up at 4:30am so that I could get the run in before picking Jocelyn up at the airport. it started snowing once I got to the mountains about an hour into the run, and once I realized the new snow made it too slick to run up High Drive I instead headed up Gold Camp for an out and back to the collapsed tunnel at the St. Mary's Falls trailhead. It ended up snowing maybe the hardest I've ever seen (~6" in two hours) and by time I made my way back to town everything was a winter wonderland.
I was moving quickly (7 minute pace or so) coming down Gold Camp and continued that through Bear Creek and for the extra loops in Monument. It was good to move quickly like that at the end of a long run.
The evening run was in the cold and dark with Jocelyn, and the snow was such an issue that we just bailed by Wal-mart and hopped on 8th Street. My right shin was kind of sore, but other than that it was a nice easy evening run.
PM- 10 miles (1:32) Bear Creek-8th St-PPG Trail (sz 11.5 Slingshots)
In the morning, I got up at 4:30am so that I could get the run in before picking Jocelyn up at the airport. it started snowing once I got to the mountains about an hour into the run, and once I realized the new snow made it too slick to run up High Drive I instead headed up Gold Camp for an out and back to the collapsed tunnel at the St. Mary's Falls trailhead. It ended up snowing maybe the hardest I've ever seen (~6" in two hours) and by time I made my way back to town everything was a winter wonderland.
I was moving quickly (7 minute pace or so) coming down Gold Camp and continued that through Bear Creek and for the extra loops in Monument. It was good to move quickly like that at the end of a long run.
The evening run was in the cold and dark with Jocelyn, and the snow was such an issue that we just bailed by Wal-mart and hopped on 8th Street. My right shin was kind of sore, but other than that it was a nice easy evening run.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Saturday Jan 5, 2008
AM- 50 miles (7:15) Garden-Rampart-Williams-Waldo-Cascade-French Creek-Highway 24-UPT-Manitou-Intemann-Section 16 Loop-Bear Creek-Monument (PC II)
Wow, what a run.
Friday Jan 4, 2008
AM- 10 miles (1:30) Monument Loops+Rail Road Tracks (Puma H Streets)
Ahhh, the Friday run. This day is always a looked-forward-to respite from the arduous week of training. I always need this very easy day each week. It recharges the energy stores before launching into what is typically a huge weekend of running.
I've done this run with Jocelyn a lot in the past, and she always drops me. I go slow and very flat on this run. The idea is to simply get out there and get the heart pumping, shake out the legs, and just sit back and enjoy the leisure of it all.
And, that's just what I did today. Once again, the weather was spectacularly beautiful--it basically felt like a warm spring day--and I really enjoyed wearing my incredibly beat up Puma H Streets (they've stopped making them) that have somewhere between 1500 and 2000 miles on them. My shin was a little bit tight, but I think today should help it get healed a little bit. All in all, a good run.
Thursday Jan 3, 2008
AM- 30 miles (4:10) Cheyenne Canyon CRUD tempo run (PC II)
PM- 5 miles (:43) North Monument Loop (NB240s)
This morning's workout ended up going better than I'd planned, considering yesterday's longer run. After waking up at 4:45am to run the 7ish miles over to the Starsmore Discovery Center (the starting point of the tempo run at the bottom of Cheyenne Canyon), it took a while to loosen the legs up and start feeling good. However, once I got closer to the mountains, I could feel hot blasts of air coming out of the canyon--a harbinger to the unseasonably warm weather we would have today.
The Cheyenne Canyon Tempo is a 4.2 mile uphill with the first 3ish miles being on pavement and the last mile being dirt (High Drive). This means the last mile is usually ice/snow-covered until later in the season. The hill starts pretty gradually but really ramps up in the middle and the last mile and a half or so to gain 1646' total (average of a 7.4% grade), going from ~6200' to 7800'.
The key to this run is not letting the flattish start fool you into going out too hard and then suffering big-time on the steep stuff in the middle. I did a decent job of controlling that today and ended up hitting splits of 11:34 (Mt. Cutler sign), 18:11 (10mph sign), and 26:09 (gate) and then slipped up the icy High Drive to get to the top of the hill in 34:26. I think that's my 2nd fastest time ever to the gate, so I was really happy with the effort.
However, all the speedwork isn't being too kind to my right shin. On the run down, my shin was aggravated so much that I bailed onto the (much more beautiful) Columbine trail to get back to the bottom of the canyon instead of running down the asphalt road with the group. I was pretty tired on the trail, but I took a gel at 2hr that perked me up and then headed back towards home via Stratton and Bear Creek.
However, once I got to Bear Creek I was feeling a lot better so I decided to turn it into a longish run (the gorgeous mid-50s weather was also a motivator--I ran shirtless for the entire last 1.5 hrs of the run) and took a loop around there, and then when I got back to Monument I did a snappy North loop to finish out the run. My shin felt a lot better the second half of the run.
This whole run was great. It's fun to start so early in the morning--the sunrise is always fantastic--and Cheyenne Canyon is an exceptionally beautiful place early in the morning. Finally, the ridiculously gorgeous January weather topped everything off.
The run in the evening was predictably crappy. I didn't get off work until 7pm again, so I ended up heading out in the dark for a desultory North loop. The shin was pretty tight and my heartburn was terrible. I'm not that sure why I do these evening runs---mostly to practice running while feeling like shit, I suppose--but I guess I always do feel better after they're done.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Wednesday Jan 2, 2008
AM- 30 miles (4:13) Mt. Buckhorn-Section 16 Loop-Intemann-Red Rocks-Garden-Monument (sz 11 Slingshot)
PM- 4 miles (:33) CRC Run~Monument Loops (NB240s)
This morning's run started off miserably cold in single digit temps. However, once I started the 2000' climb up High Drive things warmed up nicely and by time I got to the top of Buckhorn it was a brilliant sun-shiney day.
After running back down High Drive, the climb to the top of the Section 16 loop went surprisingly well. The trail was packed well and my legs had a lot of pep. Right before dropping off the ridge, though, I took the social trail out to the rock ridge that marks the end of the mountain--it has an amazing view of Colorado Springs! I'd never ventured out there before, but it was well worth the 5-10min side-trip.
My legs continued to feel solid for almost the entire remainder of the run even though I didn't take any gels or water with me--I did eat some snow when I was in the mountains. The last few miles I really had to scamper so that I could shower before going to work at noon. Great run all around.
In the evening, I ran with Alex and Kiran and the rest of the CRC crew, but my shin was fairly sore. It's always a little cranky in the evening, but it was particularly unhappy tonight because I didn't have time to ice it after the run this morning. I definitely need to keep being diligent about taking care of it.
Tuesday Jan 1, 2008
AM- 21 miles (2:37)~Rescue Run 10K in 36:45 (PC II)
PM- 6 miles (:51) Monument Loops (NB240s)
In the morning, Kiran and I ran the 8ish miles to Palmer Park so that I could bandit the 30th annual Rescue Run 10K. I could've gotten a comp from the CRC to actually register for the race, but I didn't decide to jump in until late the night before. It's always a lot easier to run hard with other people than by one's lonesome, so since the 1st fell on a Tuesday this year, I figured it'd be an easy way to get in my weekly tempo run.
The danger with using a race as a training session is that you'll go harder than you should, but I did a good job of maintaining a relatively controlled effort for the whole distance. I lined up behind Paul Koch--one of my college XC coaches--and followed his pace up the daunting 1 mile climb that kicked off the course.
At the top of the hill I passed Koch and tried to settle into a comfortably hard pace for the next few miles which looped around on the rolling roads on top of Palmer Park. Although the first mile wasn't marked, it couldn't have been much faster than 6:45, so that means my next couple miles were just under 6min pace to hit 3 miles in 18:36.
Over the next two miles I concentrated on maintaining pace (one slightly uphill mile in 6:14 and then the same mile back in 5:46) before bombing the final 1.2 miles (the initial climb was now a downhill) back down to the finish in 6:05. My final, somewhat flatter half-mile was right at 2:30, so I figure I definitely broke 5 minutes for the last mile---that's really moving for me, even if it was downhill. Overall, I managed to keep it at tempo effort until the last 1/2 mile or so.
After turning off right before the finish chute (I was 6th overall in the race) and picking up my discarded stocking cap, Kiran and I jogged the 7 miles or so back to the house. It was fun to do some extended hard running, and I actually hadn't expected to run quite that fast, so it ended up being a nice start to the new year.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday Dec 31, 2007
AM- 24 miles (3:24) Garden-Intemann-Bear Creek-Monument Loops (Nike Waffles)
I got about 10 hours of sleep last night and it really helped. I woke up this morning unsure how I would feel after being so wiped out yesterday, but within a block or so I could tell that things were pretty chipper.
Because I slept in and my legs were feeling pretty good, and because I like to eat a lot of food, I decided to just do a single 3ish hour run today instead of splitting it up into my usual Monday of 2hr/1hr runs. This ended up being great because I got to enjoy one of my favorite trails--Intemann--instead of just tooling around in the Garden.
The only real thing of note about this run--other than the blustery, cold nature of the weather--was exploring the brand new trails just on the other side of 21st street in Bear Creek. They probably only added about a mile onto the run, but new trails are always fun. Also, I would've preferred to finish off the run with some barefoot--the weather hasn't allowed any barefoot running for me since August--but there was still a good bit of snow on the infield of the track. However, there's supposed to be a decent stretch of warmer weather later this week, so hopefully I can get back out there again, soon.
2007 Year in Review
Well, first the pure numbers, I guess: 5412 total miles for an average of just under 15 miles per day and 105 miles per week. However, I missed basically five months for two major injuries this year--my meniscus in May and June and a metatarsal stress fracture for all of September, October, and November. If I were to throw out those months (just for the pure interest of it), when I was healthy I actually averaged nearly 170 miles per week. Obviously, a big goal for 2008 will be to be a bit more disciplined in limiting periods of super high mileage and thereby being able to actually run for the whole year instead of just two-thirds of it.
In terms of racing, it wasn't bad despite the two injuries. The two 100 mile races I did--Rocky Raccoon and Leadville--were both pretty solid, except for the fact that they were both prefaced by only 5-6 week build-ups because of sickness or injury (mono before Rocky and the meniscus before Leadville). I will say that 16:14 at Leadville is a quite a bit more impressive performance than 13:32 at Rocky.
I'm excited to see what I can do with a little less hurried, more consistent block of training before a big race. Even Rocky this time will have an accelerated build-up once again because I'm coming back from the stress fracture.
Analysis like this always seems so self-evident and crystal clear---hopefully I can learn something.
All in all, though, 2007 was my most enjoyable year of running to date. Particularly, the five or six weeks of running this summer in preparation for Leadville were an absolute blast. There were so many incredible runs in that time period that it would be impossible to narrow them down to just a handful. I can only hope for an opportunity like that in 2008 where I can live my life exactly the way I want to for a certain period of time.
Week Log 12/24-12/30
Mon-AM: 16 miles (2:05) in Nebraska
PM: 8 miles (1:06) in Nebraska
Tue-AM: 16 miles (2:02)~5x1min, 1xmile in 5:11, 10x1min
PM: 7 miles (1:01)
Wed-AM: 30 miles (4:05) Verdigre and back
Thu-AM: 4 miles (:36) in Nebraska
Fri-AM: 10 miles (1:25) in Nebraska
Sat-AM: 45 miles (6:05) Garden Loop+Mt. Buckhorn+Monument
Sun-AM: 30 miles (4:33) Bear Creek to Intemann to Manitou to NNC and back through the Garden
Total: 166 miles (22:58)
It's kind of funny to look back at the week and realize that I only did two doubles this week. I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes. All in all, it was a pretty good week considering the crappy weather in Nebraska and the fact that I basically took Thursday off. The weekend's runs were a great first step in attaining 100 mile fitness over the next month. I hope to follow up that 6hr run with a 7hr run next week and then two 8hr runs before tapering. Obviously, I need to keep my eye on my shin, though.
Sunday Dec 30, 2007
AM- 30 miles (4:33) Bear Creek to Intemann Trail to Manitou to No Name Creek (Barr Trail) and then back through the Garden via Ridge Road (sz 11 Slingshots)
I woke up this morning with the intention of meeting up with the Incline Club in Manitou, but several factors (tight hamstrings, slippery ice, stomach issues, etc.) conspired to make me almost an hour late getting to Memorial Park. The first few steps down the street were pretty laughable because my hamstrings were so tight from yesterday's run. My left hamstring has been chronically tight for almost two years now, and it was really noticeable this morning. My right shin (actually the posterior tibial tendon) was tight but didn't really seem to be any worse than it's been, so I mostly just ignored it.
After taking it pretty easy through Bear Creek, I hopped on Intemann and took it all the way to Manitou where some homeless-looking guy in a van honked at me and I was obliged to converse with him briefly. It was actually my good friend Carl Leivers--assistant cross country and track coach at Emory University--who was home for a couple days for the holidays. After realizing that I was going to miss the Incline Club, I decided to make use of the fact that I was in Manitou and try to get some vertical in.
Going up Barr to No Name Creek was characteristically beautiful, and I ran into Dan Vega and Matt C coming down from Longs Ranch Road. The trail is really starting to get icy--coming down I wished I had some screws in my shoes.
The run back home was actually pretty rough. I had plenty of gels, but my legs were just plain tired from yesterday. I navigated the climb up Ridge Road through the Garden just fine (never hurts to get a little pavement in the legs--good preparation if I ever want to jump in a road marathon), but the last 45 minutes or so of the run I was really bonking and just trying to keep moving. But, that's what Sundays are all about--simulating the fatigue of a second half of a 100 miler.
I got home just in enough time to grab a shower before heading to work at noon, but I was only able to put a couple energy bars in my pocket to eat, so I spent the day at work thinking a lot about what I was going to eat once I was off at 5 and also about how much it sucks to have to stand up for 5 hours after having run 30 miles.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Saturday Dec 29, 2007
AM- 45 miles (6:05) Garden of the Gods loop, then Mt Buckhorn and a bunch of Monument Loops (PC II)
This was a weird run. I set off this morning with intentions to run 40+ miles in an out and back on Rampart Range Road, but once I started moving through the downhills in Garden of the Gods my right shin got pretty tight again, to the point that I was actually favoring it. After sitting on a rock for a while (plenty to pick from in the Garden) contemplating what to do, I decided to just run back to the house and call it a day.
However, by time I got back to Monument Valley, my shin was feeling great again and I couldn't think of any reason why I should stop running. After running a couple small loops in the park (I was now at about 18 miles) I decided to do my usual run through Bear Creek to the top of Mt. Buckhorn and back. This turned out to be a fine decision as the shin never really protested again the rest of the run, and, aside from the uncharacteristically strong wind, it was a beautiful sunshiney day with temperatures solidly in the 30s.
Coming back from the mountains I really got rolling--I'd been feeling good energy-wise all day--and hit a string of miles back to CC all in the 7:00 to 7:25 range. It was pretty heartening to be moving that quick after 5 hours or running. But, the last 45 minutes of this run ended up being pretty rough. I slowed to 9 minute pace and just tried to finish up the last 5 miles as comfortably as possible which really wasn't comfortable at all--my legs were finished. That's good, though...it's time for them to get used to the longer stuff again.
I just really hope that I don't look back on this run with regret in the next day or two and wish that I had gone a lot shorter so that my shin isn't jacked...but, I'm optimistic and think it's going to be fine with some more diligent icing and stretching. Also, should've worn a long-sleeve t-shirt instead of just the Moeben sleeves with my t-shirt...it was just too windy today for it to be truly warm.
Friday Dec 28, 2007
AM- 10 miles (1:25) past Cookie Corner out and back (sz 11 Slingshots)
More of the same-old, same-old. The shin and achilles felt quite a bit better this morning, but the shin was definitely still tight. It was cold and windy; surprise. I took it easy and decided to just do my typical Friday run instead of trying to catch up because of yesterday. I think it's much better to ensure health at this point.
I ended up putting two new snow tires on the car, because one of my rear tires won't hold air anymore. It went flat out in the Springs, and when I went to get it plugged they couldn't find a hole, so I just aired it back up, but then it went flat again back in Nebraska, so the seal was probably crap. Anyways, the new tires held up nicely on the drive back to Colorado, so I can't complain.
Thursday Dec 27, 2007
AM- 4 miles (:36) Kevin Barta's out and back (sz 11.5 Slingshots)
God, this run sucked. It was -2F this morning, and with the wind and the moisture in the air, it was cold. I don't know, but I think the fog made it feel colder than the -11F that I ran in in Bozeman.
Anyways, my ankles/shins/achilles were all really sore from all the snow running yesterday, so since it was so miserably cold this morning I decided to just make it a really easy day and let my body recover so that I could live to run another warm day instead of suffer through more of this crap. Wow, winter sucks.
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