Saturday 063012

Lucho grabs second overall in the marathon as part of the Leadman series.  This photo has him finishing in about 3:45.   Solid.  Good recent podcast from him and Tawnee.  Pretty impressed that Timmy Wagnero took it to a 2 time Kona champ.

Enjoying the latest episode of TalkUltra (although at 3.5 hours, not through it yet).  It has all around good guy and runner in it:  Nick Clark.  He is fun to listen to as he says things like “whilst.” Check out his write up from WS. 

Longs on tap for the early AM with JV.  Will be my virgin trip on it.  I will look to practice with poles a bit … I am not a big fan of them, but given the guy I am pacing (or is he pacing me?) is using them, Dr Nick P (who is a certified genius) is using them, and the Playboy of UltraRunning is using them … might be time to become a pole dancer.

Evening … 10 miles.  A bit smoky out there as they are doing some back burns in Boulder.

Last night JZ asked if I wanted to go for a jog.  Answer (HELL in the head)YES!  We were jogging for a bit and passed the nearby sled hill that he (and his compadres) call Death Hill.  He said “let’s run all the way up that.”  So we did (this is a hill I will do repeats on … short but stout).  He then challenged me to a race down.  Of course I took the bait, talking it up about no way he was going to beat his old man, blah, blah, blah.  At the “go!” he took off HARD.  I was a bit more reserved – not that I could explode off the line like him anyway – but about 40 yards in, he went ass of tea kettle and did a pretty good plant on his front.  No harm to hands, face, or knees but a good scrape on his left hip.  He was definitely feeling it a bit, but clearly did not want to talk about it, and insisted we keep jogging.  I felt sort of a weird mix of proud, sad, concerned and stupid at the same time. 

End of the month so… June and stats …

Monthly stats at end of June: 238 miles, 36 hours, 21795 feet climbed, 7 days off, 0 treadmill runs, 0 20 milers, 4 days of quality, and one day at high altitude. 1 race. 4 FR Peaks, 1 14ers
Annual stats at end of June:  1623 miles.  239.5 hours hours, 120170 feet climbed.  32 days off, 19 treadmill runs, 5 20 milers, 28 days of quality, and four days at high altitude. One race (a mile, not counting that burro 5k)  25 FR Peaks.   5 14ers

Hardly a big month, and certainly one I would normally give myself bad marks on … but with more of a “hobby” approach this year, business travel, and a vacation with the boy, it is there and in the books.  Comes with 2 weeks this month at less than 40 miles. Funny thing is, 20 years ago, this would have been a big month.  Now it is ho hum in terms of training.

Eyeballing next week and will probably race the mile again at BRR track meet.

Hardrock homework

Had a Hardrock prep conversation with Tim Long and his crew (Sean, Kara) today.  Some highlights.

1.)  I had been going back and forth as whether to start pacing Tim at Ouray or Grouse Gulch.  At current I am thinking I will take a shorter path and start at Grouse Gulch (58 miles into the run).  I am sure I could do the run from Ouray but I rather be a bit stronger for Tim in the latter stages – and hence the start.

2.)  I am probably going to go without poles.  Simply, I am just too uncoordinated to effectively deal with them.  But that is a bit up in the air.

3.)  I will probably head down with Tim and Sean on Wednesday of that week.

And … given the whirlwind of stuff I have been dealing with over the last couple of weeks, I need to cram a bit of studying of some maps, etc before this test.

Very stoked to be a small part of Tim’s party.  I hope I can keep up.

Thursday 062912

I missed the live watch of the Olympic Trials as I was at an OSTAC meeting.  I caught the highlights of the women’s and men’s 5k races however and holy crap – you should too if you missed them.  Amazing finishes in both races.

BTMR might be cancelled or postponed.  100% understandable.  The rumor that the events down there were arson have grown to an actual investigation.  If someone started that shit, as I have said, they better hope the law gets them first.

AJW’s struggle with not racing his favorite event this year hit a bit of a chord. 

This is obviously a new tactic in the mile throwdown that is brewing between me and him.

I got these next two images from over at Kraig’s blog, and will look to tighten the attribution a bit.  They give a pretty idea of what the fires were looking like a couple of nights ago.  The good news is that things there appear to have gotten better, but it seems a new fire is cropping up in the area almost every day.  Additionally, yet another hint that the mountains west of Boulder will be “off limits” for a long time came out this AM.

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This video is pretty good.

Boulder's Flagstaff Fire - Timelapse from Dustin Henderlong on Vimeo.

I am on the fence as to whether this is a good or stupid idea:  Broomfield is going to have their firework show (note, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette have all cancelled their shows).

Eat a gel.  It works.

Evening – 7 easy miles.

Metzger Farm

At the Open Space meeting tonight, we visited the Metzger Farm property.  This piece is expecting to open up and will connect to the Big Dry Creek Trail.  It is a real pretty piece.  It is co owned by Westminster and Broomfield, is expected to open up to public towards the end of the summer.  Here are some shots of the work there thus far, including some of the heron nests I saw, the new bridge going over Big Dry Creek going in, and the plan map.
       

Thursday 062812

AM – met up and ran with Boulder newcomer Mike R.  Mike and I ran over Sanitas – as that is out of the area that if restricted for fires right now.  I elected to take him up the back of the hill, as that is a bit less traveled and more interesting.  We rounded it out to just over 6 miles.

As I drove out of Boulder, I could get a fair view of Bear Canyon and I could see a few small plumes from that northeast (looking south west) view.  Really very minor in comparison to the stack of smoke that was churning out of it on Tuesday.  Hopefully there will be a good compliment of rain again today to further suppress any burning up there or spot fires from floating embers. 

There is already concern being raised that this could mean a LONG term shut down of some of the space west of Boulder.  My understanding is that the Anemone area was closed for close to a year because of the Dome fire back in 2010… I need to investigate the details of that a bit more because I did not follow that, but it does seem to set a precedent in OSMP for long term closures due to fires.

But really – my access to open space is not that big of a deal.  The destruction that has happened in the Springs and High Park areas is incredible.

Anyway, Mike is prepping for a 100 in Texas in October and we chatted on that.  My general counsel to him was a.)  there are a lot of other more experienced and smarter people in the area on this topic and he should talk to them b.)  generally there are no secrets as to how to prepare for that sort of event and c.)  I think Tony’s post before the Boulder 100 stunt captured a lot of stuff pretty well.  He said: 

1) You've carved out a certain financial and time commitment to this endeavor, so you owe it to yourself (and maybe your family?) to not give up (easily). This requires that you stand on the starting line Saturday morning with the absolute, rock-solid, internal conviction to FINISH. NO MATTER WHAT (barring injury/health issues). The bottom line is that if you start with anything less than that kind of conviction, it will be way too easy to rationalize a DNF to yourself when the going gets tough past miles 60, 70, 80 that you will almost certainly regret later. Of the two 100s I've DNFed the first was because I didn't have that conviction and the second was because of health concern/being completely incapacitated and incapable of further forward movement.
2) I'll save you the suspense and let you in on the little secret that after 45mi or 50, or 80 it is STILL JUST RUNNING. There is no magic.* Success/satisfaction (finishing) is mostly determination, stubbornness and tolerance for suffering. Be mentally prepared that any prolonged discomfort you've encountered on Pikes or in any other long run will be total child's play (seriously) compared to what is virtually guaranteed to happen on Saturday. It's stupid how much these things hurt. Or maybe I've just been doing it wrong?
3) You will HAVE to eat more than you have thus far in your longer efforts. Period. Plan out a regimented fueling strategy to follow from the start and stick to it. Finishing will be almost completely dependent on your ability to get as close to 200-300cal/hr as possible down the hatch (and have it stay down).
4) Nick touched on it, but from the very beginning go at what feels to be a stupid, awkwardly slow pace for the first 60ish miles. You'll be so happy you did, later.
5) Stay in the moment. Be prepared to adjust expectations on the fly. Tiered goals are key to staying in the game mentally.
But, seriously, I'm a massive novice at this stuff. Heck, Tim L has finished as many 100s just this summer as I have in my entire life!
*There actually is some magic. The magic is that you can be feeling phenomenally shitty--even at some point shockingly and discouragingly early in the day--and if you just keep plugging away, things will eventually turn around. It's true. That experience is the revelation of running 100 miles. Don't give up.

Well said.

Hardrock has changed their lottery system going forward.

Wednesday 062712

AM – easy 5.5.  Legs a bit tired from yesterday, but woke up a bit once I got going.  Just under 8 minute pace.  Slight sting of smoke in the air, but not bad at all. 

The smoke that had been billowing off of Bear in the afternoon, and then descended and blanketed Boulder in the evening seems to largely dissipated.  There is some evidence in these shots from this AM that there is still some burning activity up there, but hopefully this fire has largely slowed.  News reports this AM however seem to be reporting differently.  Luckily thus far, no homes have been lost like in the High Park Fire to the North, or the Waldo fire to the South.

Mid day – the Camera posted this map of where the fire is … looks like it has crept into Shadow Canyon and the summits of Bear and SoBo are in it.

Evening shots of the Bear fire

About 6:30 PM.

About 8:30PM
 

Not good

Update around 5PM.  I could smell the smoke in Broomstock about 15 miles away (direct line) here around 3PM.  All Open Space land is closed officially in Boulder.  Apparently this was caused by a lightning strike.  Some shots that are a view up my street of the cloud.

Earlier in the afternoon … 

This just popped up outside my office window.  That is Bear Peak in the center of the shot … Green is to the north and South Boulder Peak is just to the south.  Looks like it is in the Walker Ranch area.
Closer perspective from Rob Timko …

Homework reading

This is probably the best MUT blogothingie writing I have seen in the past year.  It is all about pacing.  And it is by a guy who is a great pacer.  And that I have the honor of pacing at HR next month.   What I have learned is that I need to dress like Jenn Shelton, shove gels in his mouth, not talk to him and pray that I can keep up.

As a pacer, one can be the carrot …



… or the stick.

Tuesday 062612

AM – dog jog, 3 miles.  Feeling a bit fried and perhaps a bit shy of appropriate hydration from the over Green Bear effort on Sunday in the 100+ heat.  

Afternoon.  Hot (90+), smokey due to Bear-Walker fire, and a slight breeze.  Mile warm up, then 12 x 200 with a 200 walk jog.  40, 38, 36 and then the rest were 35.  6 miles.  Feel pretty good about this in that I extended from 8 to 12, and faster on them. 

It is hot.  Apparently it was like 105 yesterday.  I know for folks in some places that ain’t hot, but we don’t regularly dance in the triple digits here so it was hot.  Last night I waited until 2030 in the evening before slipping out for a run.

The Davidson Mesa Marshall Mesa trail connector in the works.
Scout Camp story … we stayed at a place called Camp Buffalo Bill.  JZ signed up for three merit badge programs:  rifle shooting, first aid and wilderness survival.  The last culminated in him hiking up a ridge in the woods that gained over 1000 feet in about 3/4 of a mile.   The readiness of the Scouts was all over the map.  Our adult group did a check of the equipment of our guys, both to assure that they had the basics and to assure it was assembled well.  I can see a case for that being a bit too involved or appropriately involved.  When we started the hike, there were some kids from other troops carrying their big fluffy sleeping bags in their hands without stuff sacks.  This and the challenging hike to the “outpost” made for an interesting “yard sale” on the way up and down
.     
I debated whether or not I would go up with him on this small challenge.  I wanted him to have an experience on his own, but at the same time I figured that having another adult up there would be good (for safety purposes), and I was curious to see how he would perform.  I asked a bunch of the other adults who traveled with our troop what they thought, and they encouraged me to go – as they thought there would be a time in the future when I would be told by JZ to stay behind.  I discussed it with JZ and asked if he was okay with me coming.  I got a “sure, if you want to.”  So I did and given the weather, I skipped the shelter and just slept under the stars.  I fell asleep just after sunset (which seemed to be like 10 there) while the Scouts were just getting several fires going (this is slightly nerve wracking …)
JZ brought in a sleeping bag, water, some extra clothes, and some gear to build a shelter – all packed into a small external frame backpack that he packed himself.  He built a shelter (tarp, rope, rocks, and a dead fall log) and slept in it for the night with one of his Scout buddies.  Given the bear possibilities in the area, all “smellable” items that any of the Scouts had were bagged and moved away from the camp.  The weather was great (which was probably good as I am not sure how that shelter would have done under a significant stress test), and we were gifted with an incredible sunset and sunrise. 

The AM was cool (low 30s) but given the bag I was in (rated for 0 but probably a bit less than that as it is 20 years old – but it is rock solid from EMS), I was toasty comfortable.  There was an older (18yo) Scout who had decided to forego a bag and apparently he had been up quite a few hours (good lesson).   JZ had done great for the night.  We hiked down and even made it for AM flags for breakfast.  I asked him what he thought of it all, and he wanted to know if he could sleep in a snow cave that he built on his own next. 
I realize that this little accomplishment is not particularly huge or unique.  I am just capturing it here to recall some of these steps he has taken.
One of the things that we did a bit different on this vacation was that while JZ and I headed to WY, TZ and KZ did a week of “the girls” in RI.  They spent a week with some our friends back there, on the beach, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and just hanging out with the ladies we know back there.  It has been fun hearing us exchange stories of each other’s vacations (shots forthcoming from that one too).
KZ by the way is probably the primary influence to what music I listen to these days (as she controls Pandora in the castle).  It ain’t always pretty.  But it is fun.

Various

Catching up on tons of blogs on Mount Washington, Mount Evans, Western and SJS.  Inspiring stuff.  Lots of blogs to catch up and read.

Scary stuff … coming back from Yellowstone, we came through a significant cloud of smoke on I25 south of Cheyenne and to the north end of Fort Collins.  When we left, there was the concern of the High Park fire, but now there are fires all over the state … it is going to be a tough tough summer if we don’t get some regular rain. 

On some lighter notes …

I was sort of blown away at JZ and some of his peers on this camping trip.  I wandered up to one of his merit badge classes one day and the instructor asked them:  “if you were lost in the wilderness and you knew you were going to be out overnight, what would you do?”  One of the answers was “build a fire.”  On the spot the instructor challenged the kids:  “okay, go build a fire with flint and steel.”  The kids asked “where?”  The instructor:  “anywhere … as long as it is safe.”  Within a few minutes, JZ and his buddy had a fire going … then they started building a shelter.  Not a big deal I realize in the world of Scouts, but pretty cool to see your 11 year old pull that off.

I should not be surprised as he broke 4 for the mile, but still, sub 2 at 40 and older is sick.  Sub 1:50 is mind boggling.

The Keiners route run is getting some press.  Pretty epic for sure.

Part of the reason why I debate if I will ever do a 100 again … is because of all the homework.

JV pointed out this way to get up Pikes super fast to me.

I hope I remember this 11 rules to aging gracefully in 50 years.

Some good quotes I have heard as of late: 
“You going gluten free is not why you feel better.  You feel better because you are not eating five pieces of pizza a night and having a six pack of beer.” 

Scout at BSA camp:  “I can’t help that I get this dirty.  Dirt is naturally attracted to me.”

Rifle instructor at BSA camp:  “You can buy rifle targets at the Scout trading post if you need additional targets.”  Scout:  “How about a gun?  Can I buy a gun at the trading post?”  Rifle instructor (looking a bit concerned):  “No, you can buy a target.  Not a gun.”  Scout:  “How about a bullet?  Can I buy a bullet?”

Monday 062412

I had to wait for it to cool off before I got out – so that meant 0830.  I was pretty fried still from yesterday but once I got moving I was okay, and was easily clipping 7:25 pace on the typical Lake Link route.  10 miles.

Back at it

Getting back to town after week in the Yellowstone area with JZ (amazing week, more on that later with pix, etc).  I have been pretty much intersphere dead so I have been nearly completely out of it.  Lots to catch up on … fires in Colorado (who needs site to evac to? contact me … ), Western, SJS, Mount Evans, the OT races, Comrades winner drug ban, how to be a pacer, etc.  I got a few bits and bytes … but mostly I have not clue as to what has happened or is happening.

The last two weeks reinforced for me my general thinking and approach to training and racing this season.  And that approach is pretty loose.  I have called it exercise instead of training… meaning I might get one day and do Green.  The next day might be speed on the track in spikes.  Or, like it was last week, it might be nothing at all.  There is clearly a part of my brain that barks in concern about this approach.  It is that part of me that obsesses over my performances in races being some sort of definition of who I am.  And with that, I can control who I am by being disciplined with training – and hence performances.  It is that part of my brain that believes that if I let it go just a little bit, I will let it go a lot of bit.  It is the concern that if I let it unravel, I will not be able to wind it up again.  But, frankly, that is simply not smart for the other priorities I have – and that I have gladly chosen.  I choose not to be tortured by my training and my performances, but instead look to be balanced and joyful in the pursuit of being a runner, a friend, a father, a husband.  When I have that perspective – it is pretty awesome.

To that end, I with this shift, a natural outcome is that this blog is changing as well.  In its early chapters (almost 5 years ago now), it was about me being public in my commitment to do the best I could at Pikes.  It was all about posting my training and my workouts along the way – to be both accountable to that and to solicit feedback.  Along the way it has been a training blog, a blog about the races I have done, a blog about the guys I have run with, a blog about my family and my travels (mostly due to work), and recently a blog considering about how I age as an athlete.  I realize post training about epic times in the mountains is probably a more entertaining read, but I never really did this to be entertaining. 

So we’ll see where it goes.  I am pretty sure that I will like it.  Some may not. 


Melted myself with a run over Green and Bear yesterday as a way to submerge and cleanse myself after a week in the big park.  Not bad, but it was pretty damn hot out there.  101 was recorded  … and I felt it as I got out mid day … and hence got a good number of those “what the hell is he doing” looks. 

Sunday 062412

Decided to douse myself a bit after getting back.  Went right for the teeth with a jaunt over Green via a modified middle route (connector near the top of Gregory) and then over to Bear on the new trail (not much there yet).  Climbing up out of the river to Bear, I contemplated turning around because I could feel that I was cooked in the 100+ temps, but I gritted it out.  I was totally worked going up the last stretches of Bear.  One of those – you are going slow but this crap is just going to sting and your HR is going to spike sort of thing.  Totally a “in the heat, dehydrated, overworked” thing … which is sort of stupid to do to your body.  12 miles.

Last two weeks have been slim on the exercise … 30 miles this past week and 38 the week before.  Need to do a little rounding out here to prep for HR.

Saturday 062312

Drove back from Wyoming.  550 milesish in about 7.5 hours of driving, plus a half hour lunch stop.  Fairly fried.  Very hot here in Broomfield.  Considered running in the evening, but nixed the idea as I was cooked and had to head to the airport to get Tracy in the evening. 

Friday 062212

more camp stuff.  Nothing.

Thursday 062112

11 miles mid day heading up the canyon towards Yellowstone.  Felt pretty good actually and just ran easy on a combo of trails, dirt and paved roads.

Tuesday – Wednesday 061912, 062012

Nada.  Camp stuff on Tuesday.  All day in Yellowstone on Wednesday.

Old Faithful

Yellowstone

       

More coming from the Yellowstone trip.  I have to say, sitting at the edge of OId Faithful with JZ and he looking at me as it went off and declaring “Dad, this is awesome!” got me a bit misty eyed for a moment.