Wednesday 30SEP2015

All freshman at Broomfield HS will get a Chromebook in a couple of weeks.  They pay 25 bucks for it and it is theirs to keep.  Whole lotta conversation in this house about “digital citizenship.”  Clearly it is a different of the world today versus when I was a hot to trot teenager.

Good article regarding training …

PEDs in soccer?  Who would have guessed?

As it is the last day of September – here are the month and annual stats:
Month 220 miles, 32 hours, 8385 feet
Year 2760.7 miles, 371.3 hours, 196205 feet.
It is probably my lowest September in years … probably at least the lowest in a decade.  September is a big month for me typically.  I recover from Pikes, am in fairly good shape and feel compelled to enjoy the cooler temps, and running without consideration for some specific race.  Last September was 365 miles!  This year is different with the recent Leadville run and on-going recovery, but it is clear that while I have pared it down some with miles, the head still wants to get out. 
As folks think I travel a lot for work, I will say it has been 43 nights this year for work.  There are an additional 10 nights of camping in there.  And then another 10 (I think) for the vacation with the family.  So I guess you can say out of 273 days on the year, 63 have been sleeping somewhere other than home.  That ain’t a complaint – as I have chosen that … and some of these places are pretty damn fun.

Afternoon – an hour with Bob over on his mesa.   Evening vespers were an easy 25 minutes when KZ was at choir, JZ was at robotics/engineering club and TZ was at knitting club.  I decided I needed a club too so I met SK over at Big Choice for some chatter and a beverage.

Tuesday 29SEP2015

Joe G or Matt C? 

This is a crack up – a Southie goes fishing.

I was out jogging and the HS XC team rolled me up.  So I ran with them.  I am not sure this was smart but it sure felt good.  Well good in the head and the heart but the pins were not particularly stoked about it.  They had 10 x 400 on a progression and I did about a half dozen.

I have clearly moved into running in a space where I ought not to be.  I am not recovered from Leadville in some regards.  My legs just feel stale and I can tell it is the left overs from that event.  But I sort of don’t give a crap on days like today.  I like to run.  I realize it is not necessarily meaning I am doing the best thing for recovery.  Neither is all the beer I am drinking these days.

Monday 28SEP2015

As always, a great weekly wrap by Mock.  Folks already were predicting that I pass over the TC trophy to him next year.  I’d be glad to, but I might look to put a dent in that.

The shoes are the reason the record was not broken at Berlin.

Ya’ gotta love Aish’s honesty.  “Not finishing the Leadville 100 was a huge blow and to be honest, had me questioning if I really wanted to keep running. The problem with putting all your eggs in one basket is that if things don’t go to plan, your kind of left in no man’s land of what to do next. I had travelled up to the mountains just about every week from the beginning of June to train, and as far as my lead up races went it showed I was in pretty good shape. I had focused well on the task at hand and worked my ass off to get to Leadville as prepared as possible. There was only one plan and that was to win or to make it as painful as I could for anyone to beat me. So much for that plan…”

Some shots from the kids from Pat Patten:

Midday – an easy forty something minutes.

Later in the afternoon – with Bob, downloading a backlog of #GOM rants … topics covered included age grading of races, negative splits, NCAA XC, performance curves over time, and future plans.  An hour well spent.

Western Pack Burro Association Annual meeting

AM – a bit over an hour of easy jogging.  It was probably too much but I was enjoying the cool of the morning, and the autumn temps and big views … just being home is great.   Saw this on the run this AM.

I listened to the Track After Dark podcast that had Allie O on it (the young lady now at Boise State, who was second at Mt Marathon and won the WMRC last week and then Roy Griak yesterday).  Tons of XC and other results to catch up on (like Bear 100, Bear Chase, etc)

I might need to pick up the new Annie Jacobsen book.  I found her Operation Paperclip book to be excellent, but the account in Area 51 to be a bit out there. 

Super moon tonight …

Dinner tonight was some of this:

I end the week with 57 miles.  More than I probably ought to be getting, but the desire to move this week, as well as explore in Ireland over rode and common sense. 

Boulder Sports Hall of Fame induction event for 2015

I went to the Boulder Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony last night.  The inducted class included climber Lynn Hill (who I had never really heard of before last night and is an incredible story), cyclist Dale Stetina, triathlete Tim Deboom, and runner Benji Durden.

It was a cool event.  Like many of these sort of gatherings in Boulder it is a bit overwhelming to see so much talent and success in one room.  There of course the “normal” guys like Peter J (climbed Grays and Torres every week for a year) and Greg W, and guys I raced with like Todd S and Peter H.
There are guys that were damn good runners in their own right but are even better people like Marty K and Sandrock.  And many handfuls more.

But then you look around the room and there is Jonesy and Troop and Moller and Mackey and Sinclair and Shorter and … it just goes on and on.  And those are runners.  There are also cyclists and climbers and tri folk in the room.  And so when Rock takes the opportunity to introduce you with a laugh to one of them as “the World Champion of Pack Burro Racing” it does make you dance a bit.


It was great to see Benji inducted.  His performances in the marathon often get overlooked as he ended up making the 80 Olympic squad that could no go to Moscow.  Most people these days who know Benji probably don’t know that about his past … or that he has done 114 marathons including one in every state … or that he beat prostate cancer … but probably run by his finish line as he times racing events all over the front range.  In fact, he was timing the Pat Patten XC event that very morning and was off to time another Sunday morning with his wife Amie.  I don’t tend to realize how good his timing services are until I have to deal with another race … and then I recall how easy and flawless things are with Benji’s races.

The event also served as a charitable event for One World Running – a great place to donate your shoes locally.

This is what running around at the Pat Patten XC meet to cheer for BHS runners looks like

I fired up the watch later in the morning to see what sort of distance I’d end up with running around the Pat Patten XC meet.  I was having a blast bolting around the course yelling for the kids, watching the action, and just enjoying a beautiful day in Boulder.

JZ’s streak of PRing in every meet ended.  He was a bit disappointed but he only missed PRing by 8 seconds.  On this course with the heat the kids were running in out there, I told him that I saw it as improvement.  Take his performance today and translate it into any of his other races prior to this and he kills that time.  Telling him that got him to grin, but he still said, “yeah, thanks … but …”

Morning reads:  Andy’s report on RRR, can a 50yo run sub 4:20?, an older article on Vitamin I’s impact on kidneys, and if you can’t help but continue to watch the soap opera train wreck that is PEDs in sport, check out Craig Vigin’s post. 

As a side note, while I was on Letsrun, my eye was caught by the video from the recent World Championships.  While I have a personal appreciation for a good 1500 or 10k, I figure that if I was going to bring someone to a track meet the event I would have them watch as the most exciting would have to be the high jump.  Watching what those dudes do is pretty insane.  I’d put the pole vault and the steeplechase (at the water pit of course) right behind that.  In other words, watching people run, be it for a 10 seconds or 30 minutes is only so interesting for most people unless you are truly dialed into the sport.  Most folks can’t relate to what the people are doing (and this is why when I was running 4:30 miles non runners thought I had a shot at the Olympics)  Nearly everyone can relate to some guy jumping over something twice as high as your fridge.  Okay, if I had to pick a running event – it is the 800.  It is a bearable amount of time for the novice to watch.  And sorry, the throws are just not appealing. 

But … if you can get this guy to show up at your meet and do the hurdles, that trumps all of it.

Listened to the Skurka ‘cast on URP.  And I saw him at the Pat Patten meet.  We didn’t get to talk because we were both buzzing around watching the races, but we promised to catch up. 

In the ‘cast Andrew throws out the thought that there is a maximum average HR that a person can hold for an event like that.  I want to explore that a bit because I think another way of saying that is a person only has a fixed minimum number of heartbeats they can get the event done in.

To play with that idea …  if you are going to have a max average 120 bpm for 25 hours for 100 miles that turns out to be 120x60x25=180000 beats.  That is the minimum number of beats you are going to need to finish the race.  How you use those beats is dependent on how you are going to exact your effort. 

So if you crank up the effort to 160 for 10 hours (which may not even be doable) you use up 160x60x10=96000.  So you only have 84000 beats left to use.  But since the average is gonna say you have swing back to 80 bpm, then that second half would take you 17.5 hours. 

I have to play with this idea a bit more to model out the math correctly.

Skurka also makes the statement that nearly everyone goes out too fast for 100s.  While I think he is generally right, I can see a couple of cases for exceptions.  In some cases, the front of hundreds for the so called elites has become similar to the front of a true elite marathon.  In an elite marathon guys go out fast and just run until they pop.  Or contend for a podium spot.  The Kenyans almost look at it as a roll of the confidence dice:  “I am going to go with the leaders for as long as I can.  Today will be my day for the win.”  In a similar way, I can see how the front runners of 100s act that way as well.    In other words, they are racing for the win, not necessarily executing to a performance goal.  There is a difference.

The other exception might be that I think that some folks are going to encounter some degree of muscle failure at some mileage regardless if they go out in 8 minute pace or 14 minute pace.  Those folks are probably not well trained for the long long distance (either physically or mentally or both) and they are going to pop at mile 60 or 70 or whatever regardless of how easy they start.    In this case, a runner might be better off starting off a bit too faster than what might be suggested, because it is their only shot at making some time cut off goal – as they are gonna blow anyway.  There is probably some truth in that they may stave this off a bit with a slower start, but I am not sure it gets to dialing that into a difference of say 10:10 or 10 per mile and more about PE.

AM (before the meet) – six miles … came home and there was a melt down before the XC meet … freaking out about where someone had left their team uniform.  I was pretty much expecting that this sort of stress did not set up well for prerace attitude. 

Friday 25SEP2015

Best of luck to the 24 hours of Lake Hinson and Bear 100 runners.  Queued up for a future run is the Skurka cast.  Pretty certain I am going to the Boulder Sports Hall of Fame induction tomorrow night.  Benji will get inducted.  And Hamilton set the Nolan’s record.  Dude is a freak on not needing sleep.

But Gray breaking the Incline FKT that was Carpenter’s is probably the news of the day.  From Matt’s site, this image … long live the King.

The head is back.  The legs are not.  But that might not be the 100 any more.  It might be that I have lived decadently enjoying meals and beverages while traveling to sea level cities like London and Dublin.  In other words, too many beers, steaks and not enough miles.  Maybe …

I felt compelled to get going a bit today and got in a little over 10 miles, even with some strides in there.  I was fine for about six of those miles and then I started to feel a little tired.  Not like tired sleepy.  Like tired as in, “hey man, you know we have not done this in a little bit and do you remember that you had the beef ginger salad on the plane last night?”  But I got it done.

Coming home

Early flight out of Heathrow today back to the US.  I woke up early enough to consider a pre-flight AM jog but I decided against it given the dark, winds, and hard rain.  I must be getting old. 

UFOs in Heathrow?

Today’s listening.  Helluva voice (as you said Jer).

I suck at XC.  But it is time to be thinking about it.

Bye bye Malahide

AM – one more time around Malahide as it is my last day here.  I was treated to a wonderful sunrise.






My legs apparently have started to make a turn this past week.  That is probably the product of time since Leadville, and I would guess that being at sea level has helped.  With my legs starting to move a bit, I can see my head also starting to thinking about just getting out for the purposes of relaxing to considering … the next thing to train for.  I almost feel a bit compelled to squash those feelings for a bit, but if it comes it comes.  It might make sense to start thinking about some shorter stuff for cross.

Tuesday 21SEP2015

AM – slept in a bit but felt compelled to get out and enjoy a bit of the morning.  I ended up with a half an hour on a cool (50) crisp (wet) autumn morning around the castle.  Listened to a bit of the “Becoming Ultra” thing with Liza and Ian.

Interesting reports from RRR:  Brandon and Andrew.

Dave Mackey’s recovery … I need to go see that guy.  I have not visited him since I started the whirlwind summer of trips, burro racing and Leadville prep. 

evening – another half an hour before heading out to dinner.  Both runs felt more normal than anything in the past four weeks:  a slow mile to start, and then a very natural opening up and a bit of movement because I felt pretty good.  There is still a little fatigue under it all, but a lot better than it has been in weeks.

Monday 21SEP2015

AM – easy jogging on the Coast Road in Malahide.  I think today is either the first day of autumn, or the last day of summer. 

Sometimes when you are starting to struggle in training … it is not best to back off but instead to grind on.

Started the work engagement here in Dublin today. 

Good read on SOS on the entire Radcliffe thing. 

Evening – sea level must be doing something for recovery because all of a sudden, I felt pretty good.  And I fell into a more “normal” pace … and then was even able to step on the gas a bit.  It was just so nice to able to move a little, that I couldn’t resist and even clipped a sub seven for the first time in over a month. A little more than a half an hour on the sunset.

Malahide

Got out for a jog around Malahide, which is a village a little north of Dublin.  I had thought about heading into the city center of Dublin but as I have never been up here I explored this spot.

Yes, there are people swimming in the Irish Sea.  It is 55 degrees.  Without wet suits.


Lots and lots and lots of green to see.


I stopped at the Malahide Castle, toured and checked out the garden grounds around it.  Pretty cool.  The castle was inhabited by the same family line for 800 years, and up until the 1970s.



This oak is estimated to be 400 years old.
In the park area there was an orienteering competition going on (along with soccer, gaelic football, rugby and hurling matches).

Rather unexpectedly I ended up with 10.2 miles.  But it was slow, broken up by the tour, and lots of breaks to take pictures.  And I ended up with about 63 miles on the week – way more than I would have guessed I would have got.  It is okay, as I am feeling things come around but it might be enough that I may actually be slowing some of the recovery.  All for good reasons though.

Some of today’s listening. 

Good recap of the WMRA.

More UK-Irish sports … while the Rugby Union World Cup has been the big story the last couple of days, the big story today was the All Ireland (but it also includes Northern Ireland and a club from NYC) Gaelic Football final between Dublin and Kerry (with 82000 plus folks in the stadium in Dublin).  Think of soccer except that you can use your hands.  But you have to pass the ball (which is round like a soccer ball) or bounce it or kick it every five steps.  When you pass you need to punch the ball from your hand to the receiver.  You score by getting the ball in the goal (like a soccer net) for 3 points or kicking through the uprights (1 point).  15 guys a side.   Next up, I will look to understand hurling and cricket.

All these games are much more fun to watch then US football or basketball or baseball.  Part of that is the learning part of discovering a new game that requires athleticism … but it is really nice that they play a whole half without a commercial break every 3 minutes. 

Leaving London

Been “watching” RRR.  Weather looks a bit challenging with the cold.  Good on those all there … glad I did not have to deal with rain and snow in my go at that distance this year.

AM – an easy hour exploring around, and over in the Primrose Hill Park.  I listened to the latest Endurance Planet ATC.


Lucho mentioned that I am wreck still.  Looking back, the first two days I was a mess.  Like the flu except without the puking.  But I couldn’t really walk or eat.  I pretty much fell in and out of sleep the entire Sunday and Monday after the race.  The impact was so big that I found my ability to control myself emotionally was compromised.  I’d have conversations with people about people that supported me and I would start to tear up.  I was riding on a thinner thread than I was used to.

After that, the week started to get a bit better but I was still dealing with the constant urination / jack kidney thing for two weeks after the race.  That seems to have cleared up.  I don’t have to wake up five times a night anymore (and in fact not at all at night) and I actually will get some “yellow” to my urine now rather than it being very clear.

At this point, four weeks post race, I feel generally okay. I am going for jogs, not for the purpose of training, but because it gives me a bit of headspace or it gives me a bit of time to jog with TZ or some time to go look around (like when I am here in London).  But there is no “pop” in the legs in these runs.  They are not sore, but there is just not that feeling ever that they are wanting to go.  And I am not (yet) looking to push that.  

I had zero miles of any movement the week after the race.  In the second week after the race, I had 26 miles (ish) but that was super slow and came off a 1-2-3-3-4-6-7 week.  The next week was 40, but again slow (but quicker than the last week).  I may have had one mile that was under 8, and it was not because I was pushing it but it came.  This week will probably be 50 something but it is mostly because of these exploring runs I have been doing here.  Yeah, I did 7.8 last night but that really took me an hour forty because I was easy jogging, stopping for pics, take in sights.  It is all relaxed.

I have heard from some folks that the recovery is 6 weeks, or even three months.  I have heard from others that you get better at the recovery thing too.  And clearly for some recovery is hardly anytime at all. There are certainly folks that can handle it.  Hats off to them.   I saw that Liza H (woman’s Leadville winner) was doing something like a 14 miler a week after Leadville.  And then of course there are those folks that do the Grand Slam. 

For me,  I dunno what it will be.  But it does leave me wondering if I will do one of these again.  There are really three parts to consider to that:  the preparation, the execution and the recovery.  I am not sure I can line up all three, but the one that pushes the needle the farthest away from doing another one is the recovery.

After this AM’s jog, I watched the Camden Lock at work.  Pretty fascinating.  I wanted to take my own time lapse but my phone has no room so here is one that someone else took to give you the idea (toggle it to HD)

Getting word over here that JZ PR’d again at the Broomfield XC Invite (although his slicing a minute off of his time each time streak ended).  Pretty impressive given it is a much tougher course than the Liberty Bell “road race.”

RnR is done with the Denver Marathon after this year.

I am not sure that this is the sort of exposure that the Minions may want.  While this sort of thing has been going on for a dozen years, it has been pretty much on the DL, and ignored by authorities.  I wonder if this sort of article gets them unwanted looks by open space “authorities.”

Headed over to Dublin today.

I took the Underground (aka what the locals call “the Tube”) to Kings Cross and then to Paddington.  I meant to pick up the Heathrow Express there but was then informed that it was not running due to some issue down the track.  I navigated the Underground (District to Piccadilly line) that took me out to Heathrow.  It runs a lot longer but it can be done.  It is a lot cheaper however. 

I find it amazing how there is this incredible mash of people in such close proximity, but THERE IS NO EYE CONTACT.  Every one takes on the thousand yard stare or the 4 inch stare into their phone.  I see these people and I wonder if I will ever cross paths with them again, and if I did, would I even know it?  Everyone has these flat expressions … or no expression.  I can’t help but wonder what their story is, where they are going, what has happened to them today …

This is a great article on 5k workouts.  My head is starting to consider cross (once recovered) and so these may be very applicable soon.

Number of US men that have made the marathon Olympic standard:  14.  Women:  39.

Rats, Thames, Rugby

AM – an easy wake up jog along the Canal again, skipping the park and heading further west.  I forgot to mention last night that along the Regent Path, there is an upper path and a lower path.  On the evening jog, I found the lower path to be a bit crowded with pedestrians and bicyclists and so I hopped up on the upper path.  I quickly elected to get back down to the lower path though … after I encountered my third rat in a quarter mile on the upper path.  Yeah, a true reminder that London is a real big city.  While I take pix of stuff that looks nice, it is hard to avoid the views of garbage floating in the canal, the graffiti everywhere, the smell of piss and puke as you go under bridges … nice to visit but I am not looking to live here. 

Everyone here is going a bit nuts about the Rugby World Cup.

I finished up my London work and had some time to kill.  I hopped the Underground (which I will say, I marvel at.  I find the Underground fascinating, an incredible engineering marvel with a grand social experiment going on) and headed down to the Thames River area.  From there I did a bunch of easy jogging, taking pictures, looking around.  It is hard to do much else there as there is such a swell of humanity … it is rather overwhelming at times.