Friday 093011

I am not sure if I should read this as back handed humor towards Dave M, or if I should even give a crap.  A blog post about a guy doesn’t mean much.  What that guy actually does, well that matters. 

I guess while on the “writing about a guy” front, Dave Scott and Mark Allen basically called out Fitzgerald on his latest book, Ironwar.

Did the quarters again. 5th week, and still some progress. Was a bit warm today.   I felt kind of cruddy going into this, but figured that having Bob join me this week would help muster some motivation to combat that.  It did help some, particularly on the last couple where I was getting to a point where I could almost catch him (but I didn’t).  Was kicking around with Bob maybe doing these a bit faster with a bit more rest to mix it up.  Not for today though …

Post the workout, I got back to the house, got KZ over to soccer practice, and then was able to hit the gym for a quick set of weight work, including squats.  Got back over to the soccer field and jogged an easy 2 as she finished up, and rounded me out to 10 on the day.

264 on September if I got the math right.

Thursday 092911

Proud owner of a Gibson guitar.  Looks like this:

Weird local news ...
Evening – 10 miles, easy, near and around the soccer fields while JZ practiced.  Caught up on the Max King interview over on URP.  I’d guess I’d have to say I’ll be cheering for this guy in the USOT Marathon.  I mean, how cool would it be if the MUT guy got on the team?  I realize with a 2:15 PR it is a bit of a long shot.

That said, it seems that for a bit guys like King and Wardian were sort of considered as key players in the MUT space, but … well, almost a second tier.  Not really second tier ….but it seemed that their road, track and short distance XC pedigree was sort of overlooked …  in a race with them in it, and Mackey, or Roes, or Jurek, or Anton … you’d pick the “native” MUT guys versus Max or Michael.  Eh, maybe not.  But those guys (King, Wardian) have really carved their names in the sport.  Good on em.  Hope they kick some ass in January.  I might like them because of the boundaries they cross.  They are not just trail runners, or ultra guys or track dudes or road runners.  They are runners.  Amen to that.

Broomfield High again tomorrow.  3PM if interested. 

Not sure why I find Willie’s voice awesome for this song.  It grows on ya.

Wednesday 092811

AM – I was very tempted to continue to stay in bed this AM, but once I got out I actually felt pretty good.  5 miles.  The mornings are beautiful now.  Cool, crisp, nice sunrise colors.

I can’t touch my toes when I stretch.  At least not easily.  Apparently this is a good thing.

Mike Morton, a forgotten phenom of sorts, is getting quite a bit of press (by MUT standards) in light of his recent Hinson Lake run.

PM – 7 miles easy, listened to this interview with Chrissie W.

So, I am not sure that I have articulated this visualization technique before.  Pick your favorite competitor, champion, athlete, whoever.  What are they doing?  What are they doing in training?  What are they doing in recovery?  What are they doing in their eating?  Can you live like a champion for a day?  Two days?  Wake up, make the choices all through the day where you are the actor, serving the role or acting the role of what you think that person would do.   Think of all the choices they make in that day that they might not even think of – because those are habits for that person.  You are going to try to copy those habits for a day.  Obviously you don’t necessarily do the 12 x 1000 meter interval workout in 2:40 that they do, but all those other things.  Think like the champion, act like the champion, so that you can become a step closer to being that champion.  Cheesey as all hell, I know – but it can work.

In the comments yesterday, I was told my someone I was disciplined.  When I think of that compliment in the context of above – I am not really disciplined.  I make a lot of little choices throughout the day that are not what a champion might be doing.  Or I don’t do what they would do.  Lots more discipline I could apply if I so chose to.

Tuesday 092711

I had hoped to get out for lunch yesterday, but I heard those infamous words all runners hate in an all day meeting:  “let’s take a half an hour for lunch.”  I have not the discipline to pull of a 3 minute change, a 3 mile 24 minute run, and a 3 minute change back.  So I thought I’d get it done in the evening but I was unwilling to pull that off after getting back from a BOSTAC meeting pretty late (9:30).

So, up and at it this AM.  Unable to meet with Mr. Bob this week, but did something in the spirit of his intentions:  6 minutes with the last minute a push over the prior five.  Four of these, with 2 minutes of rest between and 8 miles total.

Slipped over 2700 miles today.

PM – 5 miles.  Down to JZ’s soccer practice and back.  I realized my runs today were either before sunrise or after sunset.

Another all day session at work at the local hotel.  Post the meeting, folks retired to the bar where they had Odell’s IPA on tap.  Which is essentially like liquid heroin to me. 

Which is why I completely abstained from it. 

Monday 092611

Good luck picking the Kenyan Olympic Marathon team.

AM – six miles.  All prior to the sun breaking the eastern horizon

A case for UPOY?

If you are coming here to find links to the weekend’s news, well, look to the right.  There was plenty of racing, and lots of coverage between the local bloggers,  big timers and even relatively new players on the scene.  All that said , I find articles on the benefits of 5 hour energy drinks more amusing after getting my regular coverage fix.

100s … even for vets they ain’t easy.

Sunday 092511

Of course there was this.

The Lake Hinson 24 hour run danced with the AR there according to Brett.  Pretty amazing considering conditions were often above 90F.

Headed over to Teller Farm this AM to join up with the Fleet Feet run.  I forgot two things:  one, this run never starts on the advertised start time and two, I find that particularly annoying.  At 8:17, I looked at TJ and said “wanna run?”  “Yup.”  And so it started.

Awesome run.  Easy but steady, perfect weather, light conversation and great views.  13 miles.  Had I been on my own, I suspect it would have been a bit of a slog.  I have actually started to wonder if my HR drops 10bpm just by running with people.

66 miles on the week, just shy of 10 hours (most of that time coming on the mid week up Bear).  I feel I sort of have a groove with two harder sessions, a climb, and mid longish run on the week.  I am not certain I will be able to carry that over week to week (work, etc) but this week worked.  Clearly the easiest thing I could do to improve right now is run more with people.

This is another great podcast by BJE:  your strength can become your weakness.  I feel this has clearly has become the case with me.  My consistency in running (3660 miles in 2009, 4100 in 2010, and nearly 2700 this year so far) has been my strength over the last couple of years, but it has also become the chink in my overall armor: I often do not dig into any sort of specialized work, or do anything to break up the routine to engage new strengths. 

On that front, a failure this week was getting to the gym at all.  No squats, nothing else.  Ack.

Saturday 092411

Sun, soccer and some running.  In between, checked twitter feeds on UROC, Bear, and USATF Trail 50.  Most stoked for Dr. Pedetella for nailing the win at Bear.

Mid day (hot) – 6 miles.

Evening – stepped out the door to go.  But I was tired.  So I went back in a read a book.

Friday 092311

Rupp talks on this AR.

I am not a fan the “re-set” of women’s WR in the marathon (and maybe the AR?) by the IAAF (the new ruling prohibits use of male pacers in record considerations). But in any case I see such a change as sort of academic.

I am fairly certainly that most of the men’s WRs and ARs out there on the track in distance events have come with the use of pacers – and so arguably, by extension those records would also be suspect. Yes, I know that male pacers in women’s events go the whole distance (unlike men’s events), but Paula ran a 67 for the second half of that marathon. She had to do that. For what it is worth – there were very few if any women who could get through the first half in that marathon in 68 and then come back in 67.

I guess if you buy into this ruling, then you are pretty much going to throw out all sorts of records in regards to age groups. Ed Whitlock, well that guy took advantage of running with younger guys, right? Same sort of advantage there: older guy running with a stronger person to achieve a record is not any different than a woman doing the same with a man in a marathon … or a guy having a rabbit bring them through the half enroute to a mile in 1:53).

I appreciate what the IAAF is trying to do with the records here of course (keep the playing field fair), but the retroactive nature of this seems like a stretch.

For what it is worth, there are places where I think the records are ridiculously out of whack (women’s 100, women’s 400, and probably women’s 10k for example) and are probably tainted by drug use. I do realize I am applying some subjectivity in judging those performances (I really don’t know if they did something unfair to accomplish those performances). But in any case I have thought it would be appropriate to reset or even those records. And so I am a bit inconsistent in my thinking on these matters.

Which might be part of the reason why I let my subscription to T&FN lapse a decade ago, and I worried less about these sort of performances, and got more interested in the performances of locals, and friends. It is just easier and more fun.

But I still do get drawn into that fray in my head occasionally (there is still some love for it all under there).

Did the quarters again. 4th week, and still some progress. Was pretty warm today. 200s felt pretty good. 8 miles. I got out a bit slower this week, but was able to finish pretty nicely. I think I will still be able to progress on these for another couple of weeks. I probably ought to find a race to get some sort of baseline. I have contemplated doing a 5k time trial on my own, just to get an idea - but it is a bit different OYO. Maybe a mile, just to see what I can do. Ack. Just thinking of that hurts.

Thursday 092211

AM – easy easy four miles.  It was actually chilly.

Mid day – five and change with Jim Robbins.  Always a touch quicker with Jim, as his easy is bit closer to 7 minute, 7:15 pace.  Not a problem for a short run like this.  He gave me the scrunched forehead look when I talked about a 100 miler.

Sports Illustrated Coverage of Pikes from 1975.

Quarters tomorrow, Broomfield High, 3PM.  Feel free to join me.  Of course, things can go awry.  There could be a football game or something as far as I know.  Just need to roll with it.

Wednesday 092111 Boulder 100 ramblings

When planning out 2011, I put the Boulder 100 on the calendar as a race that I would possibly do.

It is still a possibility. 

Frankly, my mind is all over the map on this, often changing from day to day.  Hell, sometimes stride to stride.  Back at the Dirty Thirty in June, several seasoned ultra guys told me running a 100 in the 7 mile out and back fashion that the Boulder 100 is was akin to “losing your virginity like a cheap whore.”  Understanding that Leadville was not an option given its calendar collision with Pikes, they encouraged me to something like Bear or even the upcoming Slickrock 100.  They questioned the mind numbing nature of the course, and challenge of getting to that same aid station after 10 laps (seventy something miles) and having the fortitude to get up and get back out there again.  And again.

My rebuttal has been that the advantage of a run like Boulder is that I don’t have to check out for a weekend to go do it.  I don’t have to manage all the logistics of getting somewhere and back.  Hypothetically, I could call on a variety of people to pace me that I would not normally have if off in Idaho this weekend.  There is appeal to the fact that I could have my kids join me on their bikes for a lap or two.  Unlike most of my runs where I am seen at the start and disappear for several hours, only to return looking like I have gone 15 rounds with Ivan Drago, I can been seen every hour or so … or even share some of that experience.  I can sleep in my own bed the night before and my own the night after. 

So there is some draw to that nuttiness. 

But, I also recognize it is totally outside of what I have been thinking about.  I have not trained for a 100.  I have not done a run longer than 12 miles since Pikes and Pikes was my longest run since a 30 miler in June and a 45 miler in May.  This is where the real mental games start between the voices in my head. 

“of course you can do a 100.  People do 100s all the time.  Did you see that guy who just did a 100 while wearing a gas mask and high heels?  Certainly if they did it, you can do it.”
”yeah but people get whacked in 100s all the time.  Timmy Parr.  Did you see he just got leveled a Wasatch?  And those guys at UTMB?”
”whatever, those guys were running for the win.  You’d be running to finish.  You could finish this.”
”I have not run more than a dozen miles recently and that generally felt like ass.”
”that was the day after a hard workout.”
”Exactly, I am supposed to be focused on 5k, 10k stuff right now.  Isn’t my doing this just focusing on the wrong thing?  Again?!  I mean I always get distracted and go and do the next thing rather than focusing on the thing now.”
”Dude – this ain’t the Olympics you are going to.  You are a middle of the pack 42 year old bald man (by choice) who keeps yapping about ultras but never does one.  This might upset your training for a 5k for a little bit but it is just a blimp.  Man up.”
”Man up?  I am not sure I can even do this.”
”Isn’t that the point?”
”yeah, but if I go out and do it, I want to do it.  Not screw it up and DNF.”
”Who cares if you DNF?”
”I do.”
”Good point, but so what?”
”This course sucks.”
”Good point but so what?  You chose this one for those stupid reasons above.”
”Race day reg is a 140 bucks.”
”Sounds like a good motivator to make sure you do at least a 100 to get as cheap per mile as possible.”

This conversation goes on and on … and on and on … and on … and depending on where it stops determines if I feel I ought to do the 100 or just focus on 5ks and 10ks for a bit.

So I still don’t know.

Running today … Bear Peak.  Since I can’t park at the Dowdy Draw or the South Mesa Trail lots without a fee, I elected to park at the South Boulder Creek Lot.  This is just off of 93, a little north of the turn off to Eldo (and is still free).  This puts you out a bit from any of the peaks, but that is fine … it makes for a nice mix.  It is about 2 miles up to the BlueBell trail, and then the maybe another mile and quarter to Shadow Canyon.  Each of these “milestones” mark a slight shift in the trails pitch.  To Bluebell it is a very shallow grade.  Bluebell to the Mesa is a bit steeper but not bad.  Then Shadow is just nutty (but not as bad as say Fern or Saddle).  I took the whole run easy, just massaging the brain cells as much as anything.  The round trip made for a nice 10 miler.  Only my fifth ascent up Bear this year …

Sumacs beginning to change to a sweet red along the Bluebell trail.

Happy last day of summer and welcome to autumn everyone.

Tuesday 092011

Apparently, a teen kid begged his mother to not let his father embarass him at the bus stop.  Dad took the bail and waved to his son at the bus every morning for the whole school year.  In different costumes.

Now that is excellent.

CU XC outlook.

AM – five miles.  Felt pretty good once I woke up a little.

I got a call recently from a guy that I went to grade school with.  We reconnected on Facebook and he runs (took it up more as an adult).  He has asked me about marathons, as he is relatively new to that (one under his belt).  I have informed him that I am not really road marathon experienced but … I am happy to yap.  Anyway, he recently called me and asked about the run walk methodology in marathons.  I told him that I was not really versed in it but we discussed it, and there is a good amount of info about it on line.  I recall hearing a podcast on it (IMTalk?) where folks really are proponents of it.  Anyway, he did his 20 miler this weekend, with five minutes of running, 1 minute of walking and his training run time improved by 45 minutes (compared to last year, the same run, same prep time in his build up to his marathon).  He told me it felt like “cheating.”  Interesting.

Kids these days.  Had a scout meeting at the house last night and some of the crumb grabbers were finishing up their engineering activity requirements.  One of the actions in this activity was to draw up a floor plan and demo it to the other scouts in the den. 
Not only were the drawings the kids done pretty much to scale, many of them use CAD software to present either the drawing, and one kid demo’d it via a 3D drawing from sketchup.  Was any of this an option for a 5th grader even 5 years ago?

Five in the PM.

JZ evening soccer practice.

Monday 091911

Met up with the Bob at Sweeney Mesa for some punishment.  This week was 5 x 5 minutes, with that last minute expected to be a pick up over the pace.  Got eaten.  By the workout.  And all the damn grasshoppers out there attacking you while you run.  9 miles.  I was not particularly strong in this workout, but I got through it. 

Apparently the spider we saw at the Fullers yesterday was a cat faced spider.

UROC on tap this weekend.  It could come down to a kick.  News from this weekend.  And more weekend news.  Better to read this stuff than some of the recent thrash going on around the internet space.

All the yippie yap in that area did get me thinking a bit though.  I think I believe these things … I don’t necessarily always follow them, but I do try to.  I don’t expect anyone to agree with all of these.  I also reserve the right to change my mind.

1.) I am not a guy that is going to question a guy’s character or intentions in a race because he DNFs. Heck, I have DNF’d in a mile race.  I just don’t think you know what was going on in the head or body of that guy – so to say something about how they are less of a character because they DNF’d … just not for me.  Yes, I will admit, there is something to be said about the guy who grits through for 25 miles by walking a hundred in, but I am not going to say that makes them better or tougher than the guy who DNFd.

2.) I am not a guy who is going to question the motivations of someone I don’t know, and if it is someone I know, I better have a damn good relationship with them to question their motivations in this sport – and I am probably not going to do it on this blog.   At least I hope not to.

3.) I think bring some prize money, and some level of professionalism to the sport on whole is a good thing.  It will mean more attention to the sport, faster times, more competition, and probably a healthier populous (maybe not that last one as sports in general are more covered than ever and we are less healthy than ever).  But I realize it will bring along a fair number of problems that folks will struggle with:  more DNFs by elites, and more PEDs.  And this will also mean people covering the sport that are not necessarily players in the sport, but instead are there covering it.

4.)  So to that, I think that people that are new to the sport could have something intelligent to say in the sport.  In other words, I don’t think you have to have to complete an ultra to have something intelligent to say about race direction in an ultra or the state of professionalism in ultras (as that is a growing area).  Certainly, experience helps one’s ability to speak intelligently, but direct experience is not a absolute prerequisite.  And for what it is worth, just because someone has run a race or even run it a bunch of times – that does not get them tenure as an expert on it (I might be a very good example of that actually). 

And no, I am not saying everyone has something intelligent to say.  I am too much of a grumpy old man to think that.  I am think everyone has the potential to say something intelligent.  In some cases it might be more accidental, but … well, you get the idea.

5.)  I think good coaches are those who find how to motivate the head of the athlete in a way that allows them to improve most efficiently.  This is best done in a trusting relationship.   Different folks are motivated by different things … and I think that is harder to figure out than the physiology of the sport and what workout will get a better result.

6.)  I think the internet is a place where you can really screw yourself by saying stuff off the cuff that is then misinterpreted.  Proceed carefully.  We have a lot of liberty to publish openly, but with that license … well, be careful.  It is different than a face to face interaction.  (I probably screw this up more than anyone I know by the way).  Long time said, “the pen is mightier than the sword” and we all have a lot of pens now. 

7.)  I think that awards like UROY sort of don’t matter.  Yeah, maybe if I was contending for it, I would think it would matter.  But frankly I find its subjective nature a bit the antithesis of racing.  In racing, we line up, race and know the result at the end.  It is objective.  UROY is all sorts of subjective and some sort of popularity contest.  Yeah, I know it ain’t that bad, but I think part of the draw of this sport is that there are no JUDGES.

8.)  I think the more you get to folks at the top of the sport, the more they get it.  Well.  Sort of. 

I have noticed that generally speaking all the guys like Tony, Geoff, Nick, Wardian, Mackey etc … well, what have they said in the blogonet about UROY?  Or DNF’s?  Or the state of professionalism in ultras?  Or really anything about anything other than their next race or next run.  The middle of the packers seem to get more worked up about that.  Sure some elites have commented a bit, but nothing in comparison to the deluge of posts about that stuff from clowns like me.

Maybe we should be more like the elites we aspire to be?

9.)  I think I probably need to chill out about how much I think about all of this.  It is running.  Right.  Left.  Repeat.  Enjoy the view, the conversation, the burn and the opportunity to share this moment we all have.  Try not to make it too much harder than that.  Plus such energy is better spent in other locations …

10.)  The people I have met in this sport are some of the best people I have met in my entire life.  I am consistently humbled by how caring, open, and committed to your success they all are.  Put me in a trench with these guys and I’d like to think I’d be brave enough to take a bullet for them if it came to that.

I guess somebody could hack at that and say I am full of crap … and they probably could make a good case for it, as there is typically a gap between our actions as they are perceived and how they are intended.  But generally that is where I am at.

Sunday 091811

AM – 9 miles easy. Tired. TZ thinks I might be fighting something.

Week was 60, with two decent workouts, but a bit challenged with the Orlando trip.

Post the AM run, I was at the Denver Gem and Mineral show with some of the Scouts.

And after that it was up to the Mayor’s place to enjoy and end of season get together with many of the croo.

This was a crazy ass giant spider that JZ discovered.

A rare moment of break for the JZ

The Fullers treat well. Massive thanks to Brandon and Kim for opening their home, and treating us so nicely.

How come I can’t look that good in a hat?

50 miles yesterday? No matter. He has time to chat up the hot article writer on what really was posted on RT while cross training via juggling babies

Holy crap, “how big is that spider JZ?”

A bad ass buckle.

“Don’t take my picture!” JM yaps it up with Izzie tottin’ JV.

A 13 year old. A puppy. Need I say more?

“One more cookie ain’t a problem as I just did an IM where I passed 1140 people”

A croo of DNF’s

Thank you Fullers …

Saturday 091711

As I headed off with JZ to the AM soccer game, I could hear the announcer (Paul Derda) calling in the first finishers for the Broomfield 5k.  Yup, the finish line is that close.  But I was glad, for now, to enjoy my typical Saturday view.

Afternoon – 11 miles.  Felt good to start.  Then okay.   The a little less than okay.   Then like crap.  Never running fast (it was expected to be an easy run) but just unraveled and just kept going slower.  I did not look like this …

The chatter on money in ultras, and expectations around the athletes as professionals continues.  meh.

Friday 091511

Winter is coming. Will you cross train like a wild animal?

IT firing folks up. (PM update, looks like this post was taken down) And getting response.

Article on the tragic lost a decade ago in Wyoming.

This video from Worlds gives you some insight as to how nutty some of those downs were. Thanks to Dave M for forwarding this.

PM – 8 miles. Did the quarters again. Continuing to show nice steady improvement bumps there, so I will continue to do that. General thought out there is that I should improve on these some where for 4-6 weeks, and then plateau. When I see that, I will switch the work up. Still would love to think I am going to show up and rip off a bunch of these sub 75, but that ain’t happening. Yet. Next workout will be the longer stuff with Bob killin me.

Yes, I don't think about what Rupp did today while doing my quarters. The guy ran an average of 64s for 25 laps. I couldn't swing a 16 100 right now, or 1% of what he ran.

And ah, yes. Ahem. This specifically means I will not be doing the Mayor's Cup 5k run here in Broomfield tomorrow. Instead I will have my feetsies up watching JZ's soccer game.

It must be Adam Goucher week.

Thursday 091511

I can’t wait to get home and do 404s.

If that is not your cup of tea, this might be. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to an ass kicking.”

7 miles on the "Boardwalk" at Disney. That is a bunch of .8 mile loops. Heading home today. Whew. Not sure why this suddenly drives me a bit batty as I have done 15 mile runs around my 1/3 of a mile block.

More with Goucher.

Wednesday 091411

Felt pretty sluggish, road weary.  4 miles in the AM easy.   I probably should have just slept in.  Had bigger thoughts on what this would be last night but it just felt like crap this AM. 

New BTMR site starting to work up a touch.  It is pre-release, so take it at that.  John G describes it pretty well in the comments from today’s post.

Interview with Nick Clark via Wyatt.

Lions and bears.  Oh my.

The “other” Goucher coming back …

PM – 4 miles easy.  Still pretty tired.  I skipped dinner, took a short nap (rare), and then went for this jog.  Gym afterwards, squats, other stuff,

Was thinking that Disney is a Vegas for kids.  I am not a big fan of either location.  Disney is a bit too big, too over the top, too grandiose, and too much slight of hand:  look at this, but not that.  Cast members only please, but realize you are directed as part of the show.  Yeah, yeah, I know – grumpy old man blah blah blah. 

Or could just be I am tired.  It might be that I am just ready to be done with the humidity, the road trip and to be back to CO. 

Tuesday 091311

AM – 6 miles.  Had trouble getting up, so I had to make what I had of the time.  Found a stretch of sidewalk between here (hotel) and Disney Hollywood.  Did 5 x 4 minutes in there, with an attempt to pick it up the last minute of each.  Humid as all Hades here.  Dew point is over 70.

Workouts are clearly better when I do them with someone.  I was working out there this AM, but it took me a bit more to get unraveled.  Maybe that was the waking up too, or the humidity, but clearly I will get more out of a workout when going at it neck and neck with someone.

No downhills here like this.

UROY chatter starts.

PM – I have discovered I am essentially trapped on this island of Epcot land.  I could get away running if I was willing to navigate some of the shoulderless roads-highways, but I am not really willing to do that in the dark.  Ah well.  4 miles easy.

Monday 091211

AM – early.  Well, sort of.  It felt early because of the time difference.  Plus the sun does not get up around here until 7 or something.  7 miles easy around Epcot.

 

PM – had time to run, and was tempted to, but went to the gym instead.  I can ineffectively waste myself in the gym with 25 minutes of screwing around there.  Got in the squats, lunges, and a variety of other stuff too.

Pikes Result Database Upgrade

If you frequent the Pikes Peak results database (like I do) you will notice some significant changes (enhancements) to it today.  In the past, the results were good for pulling back an individual’s results, and then quickly getting to a year of results for the different races.

This was good and in fact better than what most race sites provide for their races (as their results are not typically queryable), but I often wanted to further query the results:  who were all the guys who broke 2:30?  How many of those guys were masters?  What were the fastest descents of all time?  What are the fastest marathons by masters?  Where does my time as a 37 year old sit in the rankings of 37 year olds and within the 35-39 age group?  What are the fastest ascents of all time in BOTH the marathon and the ascent.

The results database does ALL that now.  SWEET. 

SWEEEEEETTT!!!

As you can see, you can query by gender, age group, age year, city, state/country, year, inclusion of DNFs or blanks and then sort by Ascent, Marathon, Down and finishing positions.

Happy querying.  Super thanks to Matt C for doing the lifting on this.

I am curious as to what your favorite queries are.  For what it is worth, my “supposed” blazing down this year ranks 129th amongst masters all time.  See – I told you it was not fast. 

I am SO GEEKING OUT.

SWEET.

Sunday 091111

Congrats to strong performances by King and Enman at the WMC.  Wonder if this will put a dent in the belief of Euro dominance in the MUT space?  (Probably not)

Off to Orlando today, so I got up early (pre sunrise, which ain’t that early anymore) to get a workout in.  The hammies were still singing, albeit a bit more quietly today, but it was not an issue once I got moving.  It was a morning where it was a bit tougher to get moving during the warmup, and I wondered if that would translate into issues when I got to the track.   I was able to get after it with little issue though. 

Did the 400 workout again – as I’d like to do this weekly for a bit to track progress.  This week was an improvement over last week:  38, 39 for the opening 200s, 79, 79, 79, 79, 80, 79, 78, 78, 77, and then 37, 36 for the last 200s.  I didn't feel like I was “lumbering” out there as much as last week, but I was definitely feeling the beginning of the breakdown of form in the last 100 of the quarters.

So this is the second week where back, in a period where I have said I am going to be 5k, 10k focused (or at least more focused that way).  The miles were still reasonable (60) and I got in a few turn over workouts (T, Th, Su).  The workout with Bob was more than I expected but I am sure it helped me (although, I probably was not mentally ready to run that hard – long at this point).  I’d like to get a trail run in once a week, really more for mental cleansing since it is so beautiful out there this time of the year.  I did not get that because of other commitments, and I was a bit more worked than I thought I would be at the tail of the week.  It was good that I got in some weight work, and particularly the squats and lunges, but I probably overdid it a bit (feeling a twinge on the last set). 

So on whole, a good week in remaining focused, committed, and learning a thing or two.  I still want to get in two turn over workouts a week, and a trail run.  I also want to get a day or two a week where I am doing some squat and lunge work, and if possible building in some plyos, or burpees.  I am not going to look to get a real long run in (nothing more than 12-14) right now as it would probably wouldn’t mix that well with the other stuff.  So, I am still looking for the right balance.

Saturday 091011

My hamstrings were a bit irked today from the squats yesterday – I might of overdid it a tad.  But for what it is worth, this feels very much like the soreness or cramps I get in a bigger climb or longer event.  I am not sure if this sort of work will help address that, but I don’t think it can hurt it (even if they hurt a little today).

I had been thinking I’d head to the track today, but the hamstrings had me questioning if that was a good idea.  As I approached the track, I saw there was a football game, with folks several lanes deep.  It was decided:  easy today.  8 miles.  Hammies seemed to enjoy the massage.

Still trying to figure out how I am going to balance these weeks with a bit less mileage, workouts, the desire to get on a trail occasionally, being casual about all of it and other work.  It is not hard to figure out – it is just feeling what my body will take right now.  The workout with Bob on Thursday was probably the hardest I have run (outside of a race) all year.  It was good.  But apparently tacking on squat work on top of it the next day was not the smartest (I felt them twinge a bit on the last set)

Interview with Lucho.

I think I figured out what really bugs me about the Cloud character over on Roes blog.  I recognize that there might be something worth kicking around in what Cloud is saying.  But anything worthwhile in his message gets lost.  Here’s why I think it gets lost.

I believe the first job of a coach is to find what motivates the athlete – because if the athlete is not motivated, there is nothing to build on. 

For an athlete pursuing Olympic gold, this might be pretty easy to find that motivation.  Most MUT guys (and gals) I have met … their motivation is not just about the win.  Certainly performance in the sport is something we all strive for, but there is something else that is usually in that equation.  Our motivation typically comes from other sources.  It might be the getting out into the mountains, or the desert.  It might be getting your body to a place where the difference between flesh, spirit melt away you become a very raw nerve.  It might be just getting out with friends to screw around.

Cloud presumes he knows an athlete like Geoff’s motivations.   If the motivation of the athlete was only to win (which I doubt, see above), and only to win a particular race, there could be something to consider in Cloud’s words.   But those words would only be helpful if the coach knew they would get results and drive a motivation by calling the athlete an idiot.  Frankly most of us are not motivated by being ridiculed or called dumb when it comes from someone we don’t know and trust.

In fact, I have been motivated by people who I know and trust when they tell me outright I am doing something stupid.  The person who does the drive by and flips me off is just another asshole.  Cloud’s anonymity and insistence on being ridiculously negative is not motivating.  It makes him another asshole, even if there could be something valid in his message.

Friday 090911

MUT guys, do your homework and check this out from RunColo.  References to Smead (who set the 60yo Ascent record at Pikes this year)

PM – 7 miles with Steve M from work.  Easy.  A bit tired from yesterday.  :)  Hit the gym for a bit post and got in a variety of work, including the dreaded squats and lunges.

Meanwhile, Miles Davis on Pandora now means our new trumpet player (first lesson today) gets some action duet style (first fifth grade lesson today).