Collecting Dirt

I'm a poorman's son, from across the railroad tracks...

2009-09-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

...The only shirt I own is hangin' on my back.

Been a bit since I posted anything. Things kind of got busy as I started getting ready for school. Truth be told, I'm a terrible blogger. I guess the three people who actually read this thing will just have to deal with that fact.

There hasn't been a whole lot to report in the way of my running. I did have the amazing opportunity to volunteer as medical support at Leadville! My roommate, Matt, and I drove up on Sat am and actually started working around 7am at Twin Lakes aid. It was great to watch the front runners come through outbound and then on the return. Anton was flying! It looked like he had some good competition from Tim Parr (17:27:23), Nick Lewis (17:44:26), and Duncan Callahan (18:26:40). They were on his heels the whole way. The women were tearing it up too (as usual)! There was some serious talent on the course with Lynette Clemons (20:58:01), Jamie Donaldson (21:53:37), and Darcy Africa (21:55:22). The amount of focus in Jamie Donaldson's eyes is always so intense. She is collected but obviously out to hit the finish line first.

Now for an account of my "race". I taped blisters, must have gone through a whole roll of duct tape. I did have the priveldge of introducing quite a few of the runners to the merits of the magic gray tape. In addition to puss, puss, and more puss there was some altitude related issues, twisted ankles, dehydration (mind your fluid and electrolyte levels people!), and plenty of tired and haggard folks. One guy came in 10lbs under start weight, completely dehydrated, low glucose levels, and a pulse ox that wasn't exactly optimal. And on top of that, he may have been peeing blood earlier. He rallied though (fluids, food, hit of albuterol), and left the aid station about an hour later to finish it up!

After tending to the racers, I couldn't resist the itch to run any longer. I had brought my gear, so I laced up and found myself a runner to pace. So, from Twin Lakes to Halfmoon I paced a talented runner, Bruce LaBelle. He was so relaxed and fluid on the trail. Bruce is an accomplished runner who has some wins to his name, and some super fast times on hard f'ing courses (Western States 15:? - holy crap!). It was indeed a great experience to get to pace Bruce for my first try at pacing ever. I feel like he helped me more than I helped him. I'm pretty sure that he could have carried his own gear.

Bruce LaBelle (look up his times from the 80's - insane!)

Next: I waited around Halfmoon in the dark for an hour or so, and then ran with Randy Duncan to Fish Hatchery. At this point I was tired, having woken up at 5am to make the drive Sat am and only sleeping 3 hours before that. I guess it was a bad idea to go out and shoot pool on Fri. Oh well. Randy and I cruised to FH on the modified course (heli crash due to military night insertion exercises gone terribly wrong - Mt. Massive section re-routed). So we ran, we walked, we chatted. Made it FH in one piece and drank about 1.5 pots of coffee. Delicious. I basically lived on aid station coffee and cookies all weekend. At FH I got the update on a runner I know, David Garcia. His crew was so on top of his every need. Way to go Nicole, Eckhard, and the others who's names I've forgotten. Also got to hang out with my friend Jen for a bit (that was a welcome treat in the middle of the night). She had made it up after teaching an Acroyoga class in Lyons at Yoga Rocks.

I once again made myself known as a willing pacer and was picked up by the one man crew of Kevin Carnahan. Kevin had flown in from Georgia on Fri am and was definitely feeling the effects of altitude. I think that of all the runners I had the pleasure of spending time with, I appreciate my time with the man from Atlanta the most. We had a very long night together between FH and May Queen. After tending to Kevin's feet and "launching" out of the aid station, we began to pick up the pace on the long trek up Powerline. We actually killed the uphills, I was impressed by Kevin's determination. He was a machine. (Sidenote: This is where we heard that Anton had dropped. Apparently he just didn't have anything left, and was forced to run downhills backwards due to thrashed quads. I still haven't checked to see if he posted anything on his blog about it. I'll have to do that.) When we got some altitude and then hit brief downhills, things got, shall we say, dicey. His quads were a wreck, and I think he hadn't taken in enough. As we began the descent to May Queen, we slowed to a crawl. Kevin maintained a positive attitude even though he knew his race was over. I didn't want to say anything though. I was on the verge of tears watching him make his way towards what would be his early finish line. We were passed by a few folks who saw that we needed help, but that I couldn't leave Kevin to get support. As we came close to the road on the final 1/4 mile of jeep trail, I saw the Sherriff's truck coming up, and I gave thanks. Bombing down the final stretch, still not wanting to leave Kevin for even a few brief moments, I reflected on that long cold evening a bit. It was a surreal experience. Of course my runner was ok. I was frigid, but nothing a hot cop of coffee and a few minutes in front of the heater couldn't fix. But I saw a broken down view of man's soul that night. It was gorgeous. At May Queen I stood so close to the propane heater that I burned my leg hair off, downed 4 or 5 cups of joe, ate a bit, and found a new runner.

Kevin Carnahan (not a LT100 photo) - I hope to see Kevin next year. He is definitely capable of finishing, and doing quite well. Just had a bad day, happens to us all.

May Queen to the FINISH. Hell yes! is all I need to say about it, but I'll elaborate a bit. Philip Wiley - BAD ASS. Philip was the last runner let out of FH before the cut-off. He came into MQ while I was saying my goodbyes to Kevin and his crewman. The thought of heading back out was even a bit daunting to me, but Phil's pure determination got me motivated. I know, I'm supposed to be motivating the runners. I learned that it is a give-take relationship between racer and pacer. I didn't really expect that. Phil was a freaking tank. The man simply would not stop moving. we managed to pass some folks and get some time back from the clock. Phil wasn't sure that he'd make the cut-off, but I knew that he could. I did the math over and over again in my head - it was possible. I figured we could get him there with about 10 mins to spare, even if we slowed the pace a bit on the final 3 miles. On that note: I don't know who this woman was, but she was the one with the dreaded scissors. She may be the RD's wife. I LOVE her. She was there for the race, she was there for the runners, I saw her throughout the entire day at various points. As Phil and I moved (at a very steady pace) she was on the trail near the boat ramp encouraging us, the tail end of the race. Let me say it again: I LOVE HER. We moved around Turquoise and hit the final downhill. I really enjoy that little scamper. Had the pleasure of racing it at HMI 50k last year. On the road back towards town is where Phil really amazed me. Not only did he not let up on the pace, but he picked it up a bit! A FREAKING TANK. We moved down (up) the final stretch and got the FINISH LINE in sight. I teared up, I'll admit it. As we came up to the carpet I let Phil have his glory and I entered the crowd of spectators. After all, I only ran 40 miles. Phil had just crushed 100, and with 5 mins to spare (I guess that my math had been a bit off)!

We watched the final minutes tick by, and the final crazies run through the tape. I found Matt, Jen, David (F%*# YES, he killed it), Nicole (crew leader extrodinaire), Eckhard, and others. Jen had whiskey waiting for me, what a girl! Matt and I found me some coffee, my clean clothes, and some more booze at Doc Holliday's. The wonderful, wonderful bartender poured me three shots of Knob Creek for the price of one shot of JD. And then he let me put it in my coffee cup and walk out the door. I was very grateful. That young man got a HUGE tip.

David Garcia

Matt Smith - Roomy

(what do you think folks, should Matt bring this rockin' stache back?)

Re: Bend

2009-07-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

Anyone out there in the world have an opinion to share on Bend or Portland? I plan on visiting to check it out. Not in a place to move for at least a year, but definitely looking to make a move to a location with good running and runners.

Thanks James

2009-07-26T13:54:00.001-07:00

Got to Breck again this weekend to hit some of the CT that I haven't seen. Thanks James for driving me out there to get my head right. Headed west out of Tiger Run Resort towards Copper. I was planning on going all the way to Copper and back (28 miles), but as I crested the high-point at 12,500 (above tree line again - HELL YES!) the weather started to build. Since I was shirtless and with only two bottles and some iodine, I decided to turn around and finish the day's miles east-bound towards Kenosha Pass. All in all, an awesome day with good vertical (26+).

I stripped down bare and had myself a great dance session right next to this cairn!

Not only did the trail offer up some quality up, up, up!, but the wild flowers were gorgeous. I even came across some stunning Columbine at 12,500 nestled between the granite. I love this state! Kind of amazing that I'm seriously considering moving to Bend. Any advice?

So, the week of running: pretty damn good. Not sure of the mileage yet, but it's around 65-70. Considering I only ran 5 days this week, that ain't bad. Good climbing every day, and solid downhill. I've definitely noticed that my downhill has improved. Maybe because I'm focusing on form and fluidity. Maybe it's a product of my lay-off from training. Whatever the cause, I'll take it!

Now to redefine my spare time. I only got 2 hrs of sleep before the 26 gnarly miles in Breck, and then went to a show last night that had me out until 2:30am. It was a fun time though. The Motet played at Cervante's and covered MJ all night! I was pooped, and my dancing was really just head bobbing and swaying. Still worth it. All of this high-time living showed on today's tiny little 6.5 at Matthew-Winters with my friend Evan. Although we broke my all time record there, I was one hurtin' unit. Thanks for playing rabbit, Evan.

I'll leave you with one last shot of a friendly marmot that I named Corzo.

Above Tree Line

2009-07-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Good week, good miles. Knocked out a 81+ mile week. The longest run was today (22), and it went well. Decided to get above the trees for a minute by running the Kenosha Pass section of the CT. I made it to the top of Georgia Pass, plus a little hill scramble to get to 12,000 ft, when the lightning and thunder rolled in. That made my decision to turn around at 11 miles, instead of 15, much easier. I shouldn't be doing 30 mile runs yet anyways. I am a bit suprised at how my legs feel. They're kind of sore and sluggish, but seem to be handling training well. My ankle is also feeling ok. A bit tight, but nothing a little body work/stretching can't fix (yes Jen, I'm giving in). I don't believe that I've mentioned this in any previous posts, but I RARELY stretch. It's absolutely amazing that I performed as well as I did last year considering my terrible range of motion. All I can figure, is that my high activity level kept me relatively loose. That approach probably isn't going to work forever though. I'll need to incorporate some flexibility training into my schedule this year. Also toying with the idea of plyometrics to make rock-hopping easier. Might be time for guidance from an objective source. A coach...ugh.

Days Go By... Love this commercial

2009-07-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Absolutely obsessed with this commercial. Kind of strange seeing as I don't have any t.v. reception/service.

My favorite jungle track:

Great classic house track (just for you, Jen):

Running related stuff: on track to hit 60+ miles this week. Not bad all things considered. Got in some time on the Mesa Trail this morning after waking up at 3:45 am to cart my mom to the airport. It was a gorgeous morning, and my legs felt good! The climbing is getting easier, however, yesterday at Matthew-Winters was brutal (dehydrated, tired, etc). And it was damn hot. Enough with the bitching, I'm going to take a disco nap. Don't worry if you're unfamiliar with the term, I didn't know what a disco nap was until a few weeks ago.

Ahhh. Running for the joy of it.

2009-07-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Starting running again after quite the layoff, and the experience is both wonderful and frustrating. After gaining the level of fitness that I did last year, and now having to start from scratch, I am struggling a bit to just appreciate time on the trail/road. However, it is great to have learned from my mistakes last time around. I am talking about my jump in to ultrarunning. I wouldn't trade the miles from last year for anything, I definitely learned a lot about myself and my capabilities. The plan for this year is to build a solid base, and then hit the big miles throughout the winter and next spring/summer. I'm going to focus on getting one 100 under my belt, and maybe a few shorter races.

In addition to a focused and safe running schedule I will be climbing. Hell yes! After an amazing 4th of July weekend where I was introduced to climbing (thanks to Jen, David, Nicole, and others who's names I don't remember), I'm hooked. Going to join Denver's new bouldering club, and get out to some crags as much as I can. Time to fly!

This is not me, soon enough.

Hooray!

Too much, too soon - caution to the wind!

2009-02-27T10:26:00.000-08:00

I am an all or nothing kind of guy, and it has probably created some serious problems in my life. In fact, I know it has. This characteristic has pushed me to sign up for my first race after my injury, Collegiate Peaks 50 mile. I know that with the right training I can run the race, the problem is that since the gun goes off at the beginning of May I may not be able to get the training mileage in. Oh well, here we go again!

Finally getting healthy

2009-02-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

My ankle has healed up to the point where I can run again - thank god. It is still stiff, but no debilitating pain. I was starting to seriously slip into a nasty depression/funk brought on by a lack of movement. The cycling just didn't fill that need for some reason. Of course biking through the city doesn't provide the same feeling as the exertion and joy brought on by pounding out the miles.

I'm going to start putting something of a race schedule, and hopefully that will include an attempt at 100 miles. I'd like to hit Greenland 50k and Run Rabbit Run 50 mile again this year to see if I can better my times. Outside of those 3 events I may look at a 100k or even Death Race 125k in the Canadian Rockies. Who knows, it is possible that with school being a bit more involved this semester that I may not get the necessary training in - studying is my priority.

As the mileage begins to push past 80/wk and I get some good trail time in (photos to come), I'll begin to post that mileage breakdown. Not that anyone out there probably cares too much, but it does keep me motivated.

First come first serve

2008-12-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

I have a waterproof ipod nano case that I'd like to give away to somebody who can really use it. Unfortunately I left my ipod in a pants pocket and it got washed in the laundry. I'm not going to be investing in another one as I have found the joy of the silent trail again. However, if you really like your tunes while on the go, and don't want to risk ruining your cherished ipod, I have the perfect gift for you. Oh, and it's FREE. I paid around $80, and it is a quality case. Let me know if you want it.

**** IT HAS BEEN CLAIMED ****

Giving in

2008-12-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, my ankle is fighting back. Will have to take a considerable amount of time to let this injury heal. Probably until at least the end of the year. On my run to work on Tuesday it got pretty painful. That'll teach me...probably not.

You ever kissed your shoes?

2008-12-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

I did yesterday. I missed them so much. I must say though that mag chloride tastes like shit. I decided to go ahead and run to work yesterday despite the fact that my ankle isn't 100%, it's more like 70%. I know, rookie mistake but I simply can't deal with the torture of not running any more. Not to mention that riding my bike in the snow is kind of a major pain in the ass some times. It took me 45 mins to ride home the other night, and only I live 4 miles from work. Could have run in under 30, and done it much safer. I love to ride in the snow, but it can be dangerous. It's not the falling that bothers me, it's the possibility of falling and then having a car run over me that kind of makes me nervous. So I ran the 4 to and from work and felt ok. The only real issue I was anticipating was the cold, you know what I mean if you made it outside at all last night. It did seem to warm up slightly when I left work at 11 pm, or maybe that was my imagination. According to wunderground.com it was at around -1 faranheit. Hmmm, seemed warmer; in fact, at the end I was actually a little too hot (lots of layers). My ankle is a tad sore, but feeling good. Going to run again today and re-evaluate if I should take a bit more time off. Time to go. It's a tropical 5 degrees out.

Time on the couch means time spent planning

2008-12-12T07:37:00.000-08:00

Since I can't really run, and probably shouldn't, I've been hitting the couch pretty hard when I'm not at school or work. So instead of just laying here collecting dust (instead of dirt - DAMN IT!) and watching The Daily Show, House, and 24 online (no t.v.), I've put together a tentative racing schedule for next year. Drum roll please...

- Mohican 50k (Apr 19, this one's a big maybe)
- Miwok 100k (May 1-2, if it's not filled yet) OR Collegiate Peaks 25m or 50m (May 2)
- San Juan Solstice 50m(Jun 20)
- Cascade Crest 100m(Aug 29-30)
- Run Rabbit Run 50m (Sep ?, I'd like to break 9:30 here. This year's time was around 10:30)

Will have to try to work in a 100k somewhere; it's not necessary, but I'd like to race that distance. If I don't get a 100k in before the Cascade Crest, or whichever 100m I choose, it won't be a big deal. I'm comfortable skipping that milestone. If anyone has any suggestions of great races I should try, or wants to carpool to any of these, shoot me a message/comment. Keep in mind that I don't own a car, but would be providing funds for gas and help with driving duties (I do have a license). Cheers.

Spare parts

2008-12-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

I've checked ebay and craigslist, but nobody seems to have a spare ankle to sell. Damn this ankle sprain! I guess this will force me to recover from a serious case of burnout, and actually get some core work in. I'll be back though, just you wait and see.

11.10-16.08

2008-11-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

M - 0
Tu- 10.25 (am) / 4.75 (pm)
W - 4.75 (am) / 4.25 (noon) / 4 (pm)
Th - 5 (am) / 2 (noon) / 6 (pm)
F- 0
S - 0
Su - 0

Total = 41

Apparently after running every day last week my legs are shot. I need at least one day off per week if not two. Not to mention I do better with one run per day, and it usually feels a lot better in the afternoon or evening. Like Jeff, I simply don't run well until my body and mind have had a significant amount of time to get going. This is a bit different on race day, but there is a shit load of adrenaline running through my veins (and usually a few cups of coffee) to get me stoked. I'll try to be more balanced and smart with this current week of training. I took Monday (11.17) off, so with four consecutive days in a row of rest I should be ready to start building back up to my customary distances.

11.3-11.9.08

2008-11-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

M - 12
Tu - 8 (am) / 7 (pm)
W - 17
Th - 7 (am) / 5 (pm)
F - 11
S - 5
Su - 11

Total = 83 miles

Ran every day, now I'm tired. A lot of this weeks miles were run faster than I'm used to.

10.27.08 - 11.2.08

2008-10-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

M- 10
T- 7(am) / 5(pm)
W- 10(am) / 4(pm)
Th- 8
F- 13
S- 6

Total = 63

Not bad for a recovery week. Got a couple of good fast miles in, and one day at Mathew-Winters (Friday). I had planned on doing 4 laps at M-W to make for just over 26 miles, but then talked some sense into myself. I realized that if I did such a thing I would be a very unhappy person at work Friday and Saturday night. I'll try to actually get some good long ones in over the next few weeks on the trails before the snow starts to fly.

On my run today I ran near City Park for a bit and passed a guy with an HMI 25/50k shirt on from this year, I had mine as well. What are the odds? He switched directions and we ran together for a bit until we got back to his office. It was kind of nice to have somebody to chat with. His name was Ray if I remember correctly. I'll have to check the HMI results to see if I can't locate his info. Nice fella.

Hey Sarah Palin

2008-10-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

10.20-26.08 (getting faster)

2008-10-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

M- 16(am) / 6(pm)
Tu- 7
W- 14
Th- 12(am) / 6(pm)
F- 0
S- 11
Su- o

Total = 72

I was well on track to hit 90 miles this week but then work got in the way. Initially I was scheduled to work Fri night only from 9pm-3am, but that changed and I ended up being there Thu, Fri, and Sat from 9pm-3am (except Fri, got out at about 12:45am). This really screwed up my running plans and messed with my head. To survive the late nights I was downing insane amounts of coffee and now I'm exhausted! I'll take it fairly easy the next 7 days and hit it hard after that. Hopefully I'll have found employment by that time that has relatively "normal" working hours.

Regarding my speed: it's picking up. Must be the 50 I ran and the vitamin supplementation I started. Recently it has occurred to me that I may be deficient in B vitamins and iron (anemia?), and that it is to blame for my poor energy levels, trouble concentrating, and decreasing aerobic ability. I've had some of my fastest runs ever over the past few weeks and I'm actually think that in the next few years a sub-3:00 marathon is possible, maybe even 2:45 (for me that would be warp speed).

10.13-19.08

2008-10-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

M- 15
T- 5
W- 18
Th- 9
F- 12
S- 0
Su- 13

Total = 72 miles

Didn't get the 21 miles in today like I wanted (had a bit too much fun last night with some friends - tequila is evil), but still had a good week of running. Made it to the Buffalo Creek access point to the CO Trail and had some fun beating the pants off of some mtn. bikers today. Started the day off by hanging out at Wash Park and watching a bit of the Denver Marathon, good times. Congratulations on 3:31 Kevin! Also need to mention that a friend of mine ran a mary in New Mexico today and set a pr of 3:24. Good job Matt. I was definitely a bit bummed that I didn't run the 24 Hours of Boulder this weekend, but there's always next year.

10.1-12.08: Back at it

2008-10-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

W- 0
Th- 0
F- 11
S- 0
Su- 10
M- 10
T- 5
W- 18
Th- 15
F- 6.5 (am) / 4.5 (pm)
S- 13
Su- 0

Total (12 days) = 93

I finally took some time off, and guess what happened? I feel a great deal better! In fact, I have dropped a considerable amount of time from my regular routes around town. Imagine that, rest does pay off. Granted my endurance on the long runs is going to need a bit of work to build it back up, but I'm looking forward to starting on stronger legs and seeing how a more relaxed approach works over the next four months. Instead of trying to get in 2-3 days a week of 20-40 milers, I'll be doing 2 at most and really stressing getting to a point where I only knock out one mega run once every week or two. I hope to stay between 75-110 miles per week through February (not including recovery weeks). Then the fun of back-to-backs will start up in March to ramp up for a summer of racing. Of course this is easier said than done. I'll probably be itching to get out in the snow when it starts to fly and be on the trail more than I should be. What can I say? I love it.

And another thing... there is now a North Face store in the Cherry Creek North area. It is around 2nd and Detroit. I've applied for a job there since recently discovering that getting out of work at 3 am isn't for me, and I would love the discount. My brother, Dax, hooked me up with Jet Entertainment Group to barback at their hotel on Friday nights, when they turn the lobby into a swank nightclub (Saturday as well, but I probably won't be there). So if any of you want to see me suffer through a shift serving the LoDo crowd come on down to Jet Hotel on Friday nights. Things don't really get going until about 10:30 pm; damn that's late. I have another job catering for a local kosher catering company that I've been with for 7+ years now, but the work isn't reliable, and I have to pay the bills.

9.24-30.08

2008-10-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

W- 6
Th- 5 (am) / 3 (pm)
F- Rest
S- 17
Su- Rest
M- 26
Tu- 6

Total = 63 miles

The 24 Hours of Boulder is out, and I'm ok with that. I'm still going to go watch and volunteer my help. Maybe somebody will want some pacing help. For the next month or two I'll be running for the sake of running and get away from the rigors of the ever-present spreadsheet on my fridge. During this time I want to give bouldering a shot as well. Nora has been bugging me for over a year now (almost two) to climb with her at The Spot near her work in Boulder. I've been too focused on training to go. How lame is that? School is starting to take up my mental/emotional energies as well. Time to get cracking on all of those projects and papers that will be due soon. Basically, I'm looking forward to finding that balance in life in that I seem to lose with high-mileage training. The miles run over the past year have been great though, and I learned a great deal about myself and where it is I'd like to go with my running. I have two major goals I'd like to accomplish in the next two years: a 100 miler, and running the Colorado Trail. I feel like I am capable of both and should be able to do fairly well. Time to hit the books. You all go find some good dirt for me while I sit in front of this computer all day.

Time to disregard the spreadsheet for a few days

2008-09-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Tired, cranky, unmotivated... my ambitions following the Run Rabbit Run 50 Mile were a bit ambitious. My system is taxed and doesn't want to let me train, so I suppose I will listen to it. The plan to hit 100 this week is totally out the window; when did I become a slave to mileage? I still really enjoy running, but can't seem to mark down a 0 next to a scheduled workout. Today will be different, I'm going to rest, and maybe tomorrow as well. My running following the race has been fairly pathetic and probably lacks much more than some aerobic benefit - not a lot of performance advancement going on, if any. It's hard to remember that my fitness will remain relatively intact and this rest/recovery thing should pay off. I know I'm not the only one who fears that after a taper and recovery period it will take extreme amounts of work to get back to the mileage I'm accustomed to. Just a bit bummed. Oh well, run (or not run) today so that you can run tomorrow... right?

9.17-23.08 and Centennial Cone Park

2008-09-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

W- 10
Th- 5
F- Rest
S- 5
Su- 14
M- Rest
Tu- 17

Total = 51 miles

Feeling pretty good considering how trashed my legs were after Steamboat. Ran at Centennial Cone Park just outside of Golden on Tuesday - it kicked my ass since I woke up too early and was a bit dehydrated. Over a 17 mile loop I got about 2700' of good quality climbing. There isn't a great deal of shade, but that allows for some nice views of the hills outside of Golden in the Clear Creek Canyon area. The loop hits a few parking lots with porto-johns, but there isn't really anything in the way of water along the route, so bring plenty if you'll be out there in the heat of the day. It's a fun run - up, down, up, down, up, down... Probably should lay off of the hills while "training" for the 24 Hours of Boulder. Going to try to hit a 100+ mile this week with a few back-to-backs and then taper off a bit for Boulder. I'm not really racing (mostly because I'm not ready for it), just getting a taste of being on my feet for that long.

This Ultra thing is a blast (9.10-16.08)

2008-09-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

W- 0
Th- 4.5
F- 0
S- 52.5
Su- 0
M- 6
Tu- 0

Total = 63

I can't wait until the next race! I won't bore you with a blow-by-blow account but will say that I learned a great deal about the difference between sore and injured, that I have a tendency to spend a bit too much time at aid stations (I could cut probably 5 mins from my finishing time), and my stomach can tolerate solids first and gels as a chaser. The only problems I had, outside of the obvious stuff, was the need to fertilize the forest 4 times in the first half of the race. I had been slightly sick all week and I think that my illness was to blame. There was one period of time between 40-44 miles where I was wondering what I had gotten myself into, and then the PB and Js stared to do their thing and I was actually looking forward to the rest of the race, and not just to get it over with. To be honest, I was dreading the 6+ mile decent at the end with approximately 600 ft of vertical loss per mile (mostly because it was on hard packed service road and not technical single track - I love rock hopping), but got over it and just dealt with my pissed off quads. At the end there was an intimate group of folks cheering me on as if I had just won the thing, which I did not. My goals for this race were to finish in 10 hrs or under and if possible and in the top ten overall. I didn't achieve either one of those and still feel great about the experience. Really, I simply wanted to finish what I started and know that the longer distances are within my grasp. The boost of confidence from finishing such a daunting distance is amazing.

Once again I thank all the folks involved with the event, they did an outstanding job!

12th place, 10:26 (It is well within my ability to hit 9:15 - 9:30 next year - I will be back)
Results - 2008 Run Rabbit Run 50 (actually 52+) Mile Trail Run

9.3-9.08, and a brief Run Rabbit Run report

2008-09-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

W- 8
Th- 10
F- 10
S- 0
Su- 7
M- 7.5 (am) in Denver / 2.5 (pm) in Steamboat
Tu- 0

Total = 45 miles

Just kind of jogged around for this week before Run Rabbit Run (9.13.08), nothing too hard. As mentioned in the previous post, we left for Steamboat on Monday to hang out and enjoy some thin air. I'll post a short but sweet race report in a few days - for now I'll just say that I had a blast at my first 50 (the course was actually 52+) and met some great people at a great race, put on by awesome race directors (Fred Abramowitz and Betsy Kalmeyer who just finished her 10th Hardrock posting a time of 33:25 - she's amazing), with the best volunteers I've come across yet. Thanks to everybody! Congratulations to the overall winners Ryan Burch and Jenna Gruben (she was also the Volunteer Coordinator!)...

...and masters winners Allen Hadley (he completed Wasatch the previous weekend in 28:29 - what a guy!) and Chris Poland (I will try to find a photo of her finish).

Off to Steamboat

2008-09-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

Heading to Steamboat this afternoon to relax a bit and acclimate to the altitude. I don't pretend to be in any kind of shape to win this thing, but would like to have a great first 50. Nora and I are fortunate enough to have friends living near Steamboat, so we'll be having some fun hanging out with them and helping to remodel one of their homes. There may even be time to do a bit of camping. I will miss TK (the kitty) and Pasha (Nora's mom is taking care of him - thanks Ruth). I fully expect some stealthy attacks from TK when we get back as he can be an ornery little cuss.

The race hasn't reached capacity yet and I think that based on reports from last year's Run Rabbit Run (www.steamboat50.com) it is well worth the entry. This promises to be a race of beautiful terrain and fantastic support. One note: there will be no gu/gel at the aid stations due to the problem of litter - all of the other regular aid will be provided. Come one come all!

More tunes

2008-09-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Here's some more music to check out. I rarely run with music but if I do it's usually hip-hop and bluegrass. For the next music appreciation post I'll put some of my favorite pickin' on the blog.

Pharcyde (they put on a great live show)

Ya Mama

Passin Me By

Summertime (Sublime and The Pharcyde)

DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (as a former DJ I have a lot of respect for Jeff)

Love the taper (8.27.08 - 9.2.08)

2008-09-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

W- Rest
Th- 6 miles
F- Rest
S- 13.25 miles (am) / 4.75 miles (pm)
Su- 6 miles
M- 8 miles (am) / 5 miles (pm)
T- 8 miles

Total = 51

This week showed a huge drop from my average weekly mileage, far more than I had scheduled to begin the tapering process. However, due to my recent disinterest in training and the concrete that has taken place of the muscles in my legs, I decided to just kind of go with how I felt each day and take it easy. It's been nice. The 20 and 30 mile runs on my spreadsheet didn't get done but it's probably for the best, I don't really think that that those runs would have done anything but cause fatigue at this point.

Why do folks get so weird about tapering? Is it lack of direction during their free-time? Could it be that they now can't eat everything in sight because there might actually be weight gain that accompanies a decrease in calorie expenditure? Or maybe they are just that stoked to get to race day and tear it up. I know that I have been prone to the taper-blues and a mental state that looks an awful lot like extreme OCD during a taper, but I have begun to really enjoy the time. My hormones begin to balance out and my body isn't in a constant state of fluctuation of weight (due to water retention following long runs). Just ask my girlfriend what I'm like when I am pushing through the third week of a build-up phase - it ain't pretty. Of course I have it much easier than some other runners I know - I barely have to work, being in school is fairly enjoyable, and my life is without major complications. What the hell would I look like if I had more to deal with? So my hat goes off to all of you who work 40+/wk, or have kids, or have serious life issues to deal with, but can still rock out on the trail.

Why do I run trails? Because...

2008-08-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

"To those men who are born for the mountains, the struggle can never end until their lives end. To them it holds the very quintessence of living - the fiery core, after the lesser parts have burned away."

- Elizabeth Knowlton

8.20-26.08

2008-08-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

W- 10 miles (am) / 5 miles (pm)
Th- Rest
F- 15 miles (am) / 5.5 miles (afternoon) / 6.5 miles (pm)
S- 10 miles (am) / 6.25 miles (pm)
Su- 3 miles
M- 21 miles
T- 36 miles

Total = 118.25

Although I got some good long ones in this week, I never once stepped foot on a trail (all bike paths and roadways - bummer). However, the bulk of the training is done until Run Rabbit Run 50 and now it's just a matter of getting some quality in with a few days of mellow hills. For the majority of the time leading up to the race I'll be focusing on getting some homework done and clearing my To-Do List to prepare for my week-long absence from class . It seems that over the summer breaks I always forget just how much of a time commitment school is and it takes a good month or so to get back into the swing of things.

The last four months have provided a lot of good learning experiences as this was my first time venturing past the generally prescribed marathon training distances. I now know that I can handle the increased mileage if care is taken to gradually progress rather than push too far/hard to fast. There is such a strong desire to compare my training to that of the more experienced athletes instead of allowing for a more personal approach. I believe that after a recovery period of a month or two following the 24 Hours of Boulder I'll be ready to push a bit further and incorporate some quality sessions to begin preparing for my first 100 mile next year (not sure which one yet). In addition to a 100, I am itching to knock-out the Colorado Trail; a goal which may need to be re-evaluated and postponed until 2010. We'll see.

Good running tunes - Atmosphere (+Paul Simon)

2008-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

If you're into hip-hop, and even if you're not, check this act out. Atmosphere, from Minneapolis, will light a fire under your ass if you're anything like me. The new album, When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold, is great, but their older stuff might just be a little bit better. Google: You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having, and, Lucy Ford.

FROM: WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS...

You

Shoulda Known

Yesterday

FROM LUCY FORD:

Girl With The Tattoed Hands

PLUS+: My favorite Paul Simon running song (just give it shot)

8.13-19.06

2008-08-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

W- 6 miles (am) / 4.5 miles (pm)
Th- Rest
F- 9 miles (am) / 21.5 miles (pm)
S- 13 miles
Su- 30 miles
M- 6 miles (am) / 5 miles (pm)
Tu- 5.25 miles (am) / 7.75 miles (pm)

Total = 108

Got some ok training in over the last 7 days by breaking up some of my mileage. I usually only like to run once a day, but since I've been back in class my schedule has needed to be a bit more flexible. Thursday was a change for me as well in that I usually run 15-25 miles but opted to rest since my body seemed to need a break, and it paid off with a solid long run on Sunday. For the next 7 day block I'll be trying to do my runs in the afternoons after school or in the mornings before work. I need some more recovery time darn it.

Tuesday is really what I'm looking forward to though; I'll be heading to Nederland to knock-out 40+ miles on the Sourdough Trail and its satellite trails. Last time I ran Sourdough I ended up taking an accidental head-under-water bath during a stream crossing (purposefully not using the bridges) and losing a water bottle. It should be a good time.

After this next week-long block the taper begins. The Run Rabbit Run 50 Mile is on 9.13.08 in Steamboat, giving me just over 3 more weeks to prepare. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the 50 mile distance treats me, and even more excited to spend a whole week in Steamboat and Oak Creek (tiny town nearby) with friends and Nora just relaxing and jogging around a bit. If anybody wants to head out to there on Monday afternoon before the race just get in touch and we'll cruise together. There's even a free roof to sleep under; I can't promise a bed, but at least it'll be warm and you'll have access to a bathroom. No work, no school, just the easy and straightforward job of last minute acclimatization (water and rest) - that's the life. And I may have a few PBR's, just a one or two, I swear. Pssst. I use the Jack as a pain killer, it's not a problem.

Neil Patrick Harris in: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

2008-08-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

So this has nothing to do with running other than it's what I watched today while avoiding homework and my training run. I did eventually get both the h.w. and run completed.

8.6-12.08

2008-08-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

W- 12 miles
Th- 36 miles
F- 20 miles
S- 6 miles
Su- Rest
M- 15 miles (am) / 4 miles (pm)
T- 5.5 miles (am) / 7.5 miles (pm)

Total = 106

Had a fairly productive week of running with some relatively higher mileage days and minimal fatigue. The run to Boulder from Cherry Creek went well even if it was almost entirely on the black stuff, and spending only one day in the hills seems to have given my legs a much needed break from climbing/descending. I definitely am having some trouble today because it was the first day back in class for the fall semester. Not only did my alarm clock go off earlier than usual, but I also forgot to bring any money/CC to buy food on campus and ended up having only a 250 cal meal replacement drink in my pack to keep me going until 3 when I got home and grabbed some food before finishing training for the afternoon. I currently attend Metropolitan State College of Denver with Adult Fitness and Exercise Science as a declared major. The plan is to transfer to CU-Boulder to enroll in their Integrative Physiology program.

Being as I'm a bit brain dead from the early start and lack of nutrients I'll finish up by telling you about Nora's newly established running routine. She has started off slow, like any new runner should, and is starting to see some improvement. This is exciting for her as she used to have major knee issues in her younger years when she attempted to run. She's doing a combination of running and walking, and is beginning to find her breathing rhythm. Soon enough we'll be doing some training together, I can already see it! We even have matching La Sportiva Imogenes (accidentally).

Overtrained? Nah, can't be, right? (7.30.08-8.5.08)

2008-08-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

W- 6 miles
Th- 20 miles
F- 9 miles (am) / 3 miles (pm)
S- 13 miles
Su- Rest
M- 2 miles
Tu- 20 miles

Total = 73

This week forced me to accept a hard fact of hard training; overtraining is a real danger. Sunday is my rest day every week and I woke up completely fatigued and depressed. My running for this block has been sub-par and difficult. It seems that I haven't allowed for enough recovery this year, especially following racing. After racing the HMI 50k (9th place finish, 5:23) I jumped right back to the high mileage runs and didn't listen to my body. So, I laid around feeling terrible on Sunday and tried to go out Monday for the scheduled run of 20 having to make the hard decision to stop almost as soon as I started. I've had to re-arrange my schedule to do my back-to-back this week. However, the two-day break seems to have paid off with yesterday's 36 miles to Boulder from my home in Cherry Creek going extremely well, and for the 20 on Tuesday not too shabby. I kept my breathing in check and paid close attention my fluid and calorie intake. Granted it was a bit slow, but I felt great. Could have gone for a few hours more. Today will see 20 @ Lair o' the Bear, a tame and totally cruiseable trail system.

On a different note, Sam had to abandon his CT speed-record attempt, bummer. From what I've read on his blog it seems that he and his crew made a wise yet difficult decision. Even if he didn't complete the goal, he did quite well. I'm impressed. Check out the details at www.seesamrun.com.

Too damn hot

2008-08-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

That's it, I've had it. Lately I've been doing my runs in the heat of the day and it has taken its toll. So, since I'm postponing my run until after work when it cools down, I'll introduce you to my little family. My girlfriend, Nora, and I have two great companions. The Kitty (TK) and Pasha. These guys are great pals and provide a lot of amusement around the house. Unfortunately, Pasha isn't too fond of running. I can get about 1 good mile out of him before he turns into an anchor. Next we have Beryl and her dog Enzo. Beryl, what can say? There's nothing but love there. We will be friends until the end. Then there's Tim (King of the Mud), our roommate. Tim is our other "dog". A loyal and caring friend. He's really a great guy, and that's why I've lived with him three different times as of now. The last shot is of my family last Christmas. My mother Caroline and step-father Mark are there, along with my brother Dax, his girlfriend Kelly, and my step-siblings Eric and Abby (Alan isn't in the shot). My father Doug, and his wife Pam, a wonderful woman, live in Iowa. Unfortunately, I don't have any digi photos of them that I can post. I love all of these people and am blessed to have them in my life. Hopefully they know that they mean the world to me; I think that they do.

I'll get a mileage log up for this week when I finish up on Tuesday (my 7 day training schedule is arranged Wed to Tues) with about 110 miles.

Go Sam!

2008-08-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

North Face Endurance Team member, Sam Thompson, is nearing the end of his Colorado Trail speed-record attempt. Sam and his crew began at Waterton Canyon at 6:30 am on Friday, July 25th. The current record which was set just days ago by Paul Pomeroy running the trail opposite the direction of Sam's attempt is 8days, 12hours, 14mins. Paul and Sam crossed paths during Sam's second day and Paul has been commenting on Sam's blog wishing him luck. It seems such a shame that a nice guy like Paul is going to have his record broken within days of setting it if Sam and his team can pull this off. Oh well, that's the world we run in. To read more please visit www.seesamrun.com and check out the blog which is being updated as much as is possible with the limited cell phone service along the CT. Oh, and thanks for checking out my blog and this first post which has nothing to do with my own running.