Sunday 093012

13+  miles starting predawn to wrap on my biggest week of the year:  95 miles.  Not sure why I went after some miles this week.  Some of it was motivated by being back home and feeling a need to get back on the horse so to speak. 

Other than enjoying a setting full moon and gorgeous sunrise, much of this run was giving birth to a variety of evil things out my nose.

King could put in a fair case for UROY.  I still give the nod to Morton, but I think King could get second, but I imagine that would go to the WS win.  King won 2 ultras in a week.  And in between he won the Xterra 21k trail champs.  Sheesh. 

Monthly stats at end of September: 296 miles,  2 days off.  Annual stats at end of September:  2475 miles.  401 hours.  42 days off.

Caught my eye:  Willie Banks sets a HJ WR for 55-59 at 6 feet with a straddle approach.  The video is impressive.  More impressive is that he says he did not train for it but just looked to lose weight. Dr. Nick took second at the Bear yesterday.  Self professed low mileage ultra man Brett, got a hundred in 21:58 from what I gather.  And Timko nailed a 50k that he has been focused on for a couple of years.

And this is gorgeous.

Saturday 092912

Listened to the latest ATU.  No doubt Lucho is one of the influences in my thinking on training and discipline.  Him, Jay Johnson (who has an excellent latest podcast), Footfeathers and Bob Sweeney.  Quite a salad there.  Of course I said, my thinking about training.  Not actually how I train.  That would actually require some discipline.

13 miles.  First 4 with the dogs (who got hot) and then the rest on my own.

Too good not to share

Got this from Andy.  I’d normally just point you over there but this is so damn good, it should be on every endurance somebody’s blog.

Friday 092812

Yesterday’s post reminded me of one the more popular posts from this blog – where Footfeathers tells me to figure out what the hell I want to do.  Almost 2 years later, and it is still the same story really.  I play around with all of it.  Simply, I love it all of it.  Road, trail, track, long, short.  If anything has changed, it might be that I realize that in being a jack of all trades, I am a master of none.  Admittedly, I am not completely reconciled on that, but after a year of “exercise” versus “training” – I might a bit more “okay” with it (it might help that the year I have been least focused on competition is the year I have had the most win success and the most win $).  I guess I also see some guys like Max King who are all over the map (3k OT, marathon OT, and ultras) and I see that some people can be successful at it all.  I am not sure that I can do that, but I am going to be pretty damn happy in trying.

Spent a good part of the afternoon over at the Pat Patten XC meet.  Saw loads of folks over there including Kraig.  Got a bunch of miles in with MK before KZ had to run, and then ran around a bunch more catching various parts of the meet.  Got a little excited with the cow bell yelling for Broomfield Eagle Ethan G as he took home the individual win in a battle that went back and forth until about 3 miles.

   

15+ miles.

Thursday 092712

So KJ has a VO2 of 92.  Here is a comparison table to put that in perspective.  Certainly when you see guys like Steve Scot or Craig Virgin had values in the low 80s, you realize it is just a number.  Still … 92 is certainly a nice number for that measure.

Some time ago, I noticed that people tend to become “ho-hum” about a person’s regular accomplishments when those accomplishments become … regular. For example, Matt C winning Pikes all those times in a row became sort of expected and not any sort of big deal.  Ho-hum.  He ran another one.  And won.  I see the same sort of thing with Tony’s weekly log.  Ho-hum.  Another 28 hour week with that week including about the 1/4 the vertical I have done all year.  And heck, now he is a rock climber too.   Ho-hum.  Oh yeah, Dean K is gonna run a marathon in every country on the planet in one year in 2013-14.  Ho-hum.

Mid day – 6 miles.

Yesterday, I was about 90 percent committed to doing the 24 Hours of Boulder event in a couple of weeks.  I figured if the weather was decent, it would be a good way to test myself to potentially beyond a 100 miles, and actually think about pacing in a different regard.  Footfeathers and I threw around some numbers that got me a bit more enticed.  I know Chris B is thinking about it, and Patrick G has mentioned the 50k so it could be a fun time out there with others too.  Plus, if I throw some beer in the back of my car, it seems to be a surefire way to get folks to come out and run (or walk) with you all night.  How fun is that?

And today, I am about 95 percent committed to not doing it.  I told myself last year that I would not do a 100 again unless I trained for it (to which that little voice in my brain sez – this ain’t a 100, it is a 24 hour thing).  I have not done that.  And I know it would jack me up for several weeks afterwards.  Instead today, I was thinking now would be a good time instead to put in a block of training that would actually get me towards a faster 5k (sub 17? it has been half a decade plus since I have seen that!) or 10k (sub 36?  equally as long).  I can do 24 hours anytime.  I won’t be able to do those distances that fast forever. 

Back and forth the brain goes.

PM – 8 miles.

Some recent pix.  These ones from the weekend at Peaceful Valley are from John B.

Working the compass route

Making breakfast for the Troop in a rather large skillet
 
And dinner

evening fun

Wake up fun

 

Recent shots from the home …
   

Wednesday 092612

Sweat Science over at RW is a solid regular read.

13 miles, most of it with Footfeathers.

Tuesday 092512

Cold is clearing a bit.  I avoided any sort of cold medicine last night, so I did not sleep as well – but I don’t feel like an oven dried seed of snot this AM.

Saw the elk in Broomfield this AM while getting KZ to school.

Mid day - 9 miles.  Listened to (part of) the latest TalkUltra (episode 18).  There is a solid interview with Dr. Noakes.  Simply put, when Noakes talks in this sport, you probably ought to listen.  Noakes’ latest text “Waterlogged”  challenges a lot of assumptions on the amount of water or sports drink during endurance events, as well as the need to take salts.  Check it out. 

I particularly enjoyed Noakes’ final comments about not being particularly religious or dogmatic with any approach.  As I have listened to his commentary (in this interview and in other interviews the spring, summer), I have had the following questions bubbling in my head:

• Can someone have a broken central governor? (like if you can hold your breath until you pass out … is that a broken governor?)
• Salt has no impact to cramps … except it does when salt is applied to the tongue?  What is that about?
• Isn’t there some need to take some salt to assure appropriate digestion of sugars?  I think I heard something about the pH of the gut being at some appropriate level to absorb water and food.  But that might by hype.

I know you are out there Wes and you will have a take.

Evening – 4 miles with dog Lucy.

Competitor for sale with possibly TdF buying it?  Hmmm …

Monday 092412

 

The cold I have might be more of a sinus infection now and it is kicking me in the butt pretty good.  I took some cold meds last night that put me under like a corpse.  TZ actually came over and checked on me because she thought I had stopped breathing altogether.  Sheesh.

Good post by Lucho on Q versus Q.

Sara used a term in the comments recently that struck a seventh chord with me (or maybe an add9, but you get the idea):  sublime.  Specifically it was finding the sublime in the areas in which surround us.  I often get to run in places that are over the top sublime.   I look to the west of where I live and the Rockies rise out of the peneplain, and when the sun sinks behind the Flatirons … well, if you have a pulse, it skips a beat.  I enjoy that I get to seek the sublime on my runs. 

The land east of the mountains is often not considered beautiful.  It is dry, brown, harsh, and rocky.  In the picture above, I am looking into the very land that was once the site of Rocky Flats (look it up).  But I saw bluebirds scuttle, hawks soar, prairie dogs squeak in protest, smelled the sage, felt the yucca cut my shins, and watched the tumbleweed roll on by in the winds from the west.  Sublime indeed.

AM – 5 miles.
PM – 8 miles.

SUBlime indeedy.

Sunday 092312

6 miles in the evening.  Ugh.  Slow and easy but I felt like a slug.  Lot of snot in my head, tired from the weekend, and clearly feeling the “benefits” of the last two weeks on the road.

Saturday 092312

0 miles.  Spent the weekend at Peaceful Valley, with JZ and some other 5000 scouts.  Most of my Saturday was teaching kids how to hold a bearing on a compass in a game where they had a bucket on their head (so they could read a compass but not see the "pins”).  When not doing that TZ and I were “grubmasters” for our group of about 50.  Busy tiring weekend but fun.

Friday 092112

Home.  Good.

10.5 miles.  Pretty serious cold and a low grade fever.  Ran to cook it out.  This is my science.  Sweat it out.  Sort of worked. Sort of.

Off of BSA Peaceful Valley for the weekend.

Thursday 092012

Did an overnight at London Heathrow at a bit of an uninspiring location.  I did a bit of poking around on the interwebs before I went to bed and found that none too far from the airport was some open space (if they call it that here) that I could some running in.   Not too bad.  Actually, pretty nice.   6 miles.

I completely get that there are some guys and gals running in some far out incredible off the chart kick ass melt your face off places … and I like those too.  I also dig that in most place I can find something that is pretty beautiful. 

The Darkness cover of Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead is awesome.  AWESOME.  I nearly took out a whole row in the airplane rocking to that.   Look it up.  Good luck.

On the way back from Europe today obviously and I am very much looking forward to getting home.  This has been my longest business trip ever.  Yeah, it was pretty amazing.  I understand how I am pretty lucky that I get to see Bordeaux and Dublin (and the other places I have been too) on the company dime – and I appreciate that.  But honestly – I am not a huge traveler.  I mean – I am stoked that I am seeing these places and I realize how wonderful it is.  But there is little drive in me to do it on my own.  I am not the kind of guy who is scheming to get to Ireland on his own.  Maybe I am just too lazy.   As a kid I used to say to people I wanted to explore more of the US before I explored Europe.  And that before I explored more of the US I wanted to explore more of area around me.  Like my state.  Then my town.  You get the idea.   Really – the thought of running every street in my neighborhood has crossed my mind more times than scratching an itch to get to Stonehedge.  Stupid I know but … in any case, I am eager to get home.  There is a lot going on there:  KZ XC, JZ Scouts, time with TZ, High School for KZ, Middle School for KZ, the dogs, the broader family.  I want to be back in the familiarity of my home – yup, I guess I am a homebody. 

In any case, I might be back in Ireland and Britain (England?  Britain?  Great Britain? … and is Wales its own country?  Scotland?  Or are they like a state?  I know that they are sort of their own country but …why don’t they have their own Olympic team?  This whole thread of conversation came up with colleagues when discussing Northern Ireland … where athletes can either compete for Team GB or Ireland … which is sort of a WTF situation but probably the best idea considering the history there) in January.  I am planting the seed to see if I can get at least TZ to come over with me on that trip.  That looks to be a trip to Cork.  For what it is worth, the difference between Cork and Dublin is sort of like New York and Boston.  And if you don’t know the difference there, well, forget it.

My nose is running pretty good.

In terms of running, my head is starting to begin to consider that.  Nuthin’ new there really.  The same theme as the last couple of years:  go after some speedier stuff, or mountain stuff or much longer stuff.   Or all of the above at the same time.  I guess if there is something new, I do think I need to think about if I set a serious goal for 2013 or if I just exercise for another year.  My fear is that if I “just exercising” there is some sort of loss of focus and thus discipline and then what was once easy becomes hard.  Already on this flight I have been pondering the three peaks challenge for Strava, and maybe even taking a crack at the 24 Hours of Boulder.  My head and my body are getting the itch … particularly after two weeks of not doing much and eating and drinking a bit too well.

I do know I have been thinking about Pikes since the finish.  Screwing around I ran a 4:42.  In many years I would consider that crap, but given the lack of focused training I had been doing, it has left a question:  what if I focused?   I know the danger in that thinking but that result definitely planted a seed of thought that a PR could be possible … under the right conditions, the right training, the right execution.  Might be too many rights there but I have thought about putting things right there.  Early though.

On this trip I missed an OSTAC meeting.  Apparently there a consideration was being discussed (but not decided upon, as that would be a determination of the City Council) regarding putting up some public art in the open space area in Broomfield, east of 287, south of Miramonte.  I missed the meeting, so I certainly do not know all the details that were proposed by the Public Art Committee.  But, I am fairly certain I would not be thinking this is a good idea.  I can see the gray a bit here but I simply just don’t think art in open space is the best of ideas.  Parks sure.  Open space, not so much. 

Wednesday 091912

Last day in Ireland.  I thought about heading up to Phoenix Park again to see the fallow deer, but instead elected to head east – so I could see the Irish Sea.  10 miles.  Feel a cold comin’ on.

More Tuesday

A shot from the race on Sunday.  That’s the Liffey River behind me and this coming around at about 5k.

According to the local copy of the Irish Independent, I actually finished third.  They noted in the results that the difference in placing in the race and what was posted in the paper was the difference between gun and chip time.  I will be looking to exit the country quickly now – to avoid any controversy about my prize money winnings.  They called me “Zachery George” at the awards assembly, so I might have some cover.

Some observations from here …

1.  The cars are bigger than France, there are more cops (Garda as they are called) than France, but there might be as much smoking as France.  Hmm, no probably not on that last point.
2.  I really can’t get the left side of the road thing.  When I am running and crossing a road, my head looks like it is on a swivel – because I am looking everywhere.
3.  The beer choices are pretty limited:  Harp, Guinness, Heineken.  That’s about it. 
4.  Instead of saying 5:30 for a time, the Irish will say “half five.” 
5.  Lots of references to a creator being in conversations.  “God help him.”  “God help us.”  “God have mercy on his soul.”  “Jesus Christ!” 

Unrelated … there appears to be some post race grumbling about the RRR event (on a variety of fronts, including its course marking, and prize money).  I am awfully far away and I have not had a chance to talk to anyone about it.  The course marking thing certainly seems to need to be better (I think this seems to be true however of many ultras and I am less inclined to agree with other ultra runners who think that navigation is ‘just part of the game.’) and it is really unfortunate that this put so many of the quality runners out of the fore front.  I have a tougher time with folks who think that the injection of prize money into an event like this is bad.  While the RRR claimed they were shooting for a 100k purse, they came up short of that.  But it was (as far as I know) the biggest purse in 100 miler history?  Why is this a bad thing?  Why would some consider the RD putting up some his own money a bad thing?  And if you think it is a bad thing because you’d rather do low key low frills low cost ultras … aren’t those still there for you?

100 quotes on endurance.  Awesome.  Number 59 … "Sweat cleanses from the inside.  It comes from a place showers will never reach."  Dr. George Sheehan

Schlarb’s 100 report from RRR.  Pretty raw.

Tuesday 091812

Tired this morning, but still motivated to get out and check out some stuff.  I did a little loop up towards Phoenix Park, checked out some new stuff there and then meandered through various back streets to the hotel.  I love running in a city at this time of day.  The light is awesome, and you see some amazing things:  people heading to work quietly, the food vendors bringing raw materials to the restaurants (as in big pallets of bread or tomato or a slaughtered pig), and it is free of the impending noise of humanity (to some degree) that will consume it later.  I rarely get pix of this stuff because I am not subtle enough to take them (I don’t want to intrude) – but I do enjoy it.

  
The last time I was here I found myself taking pictures of doors.  I was not sure why, but I just found doors here interesting.  The other day Lucho commented that he also found doors interesting.  This obviously means that attractive intelligent cranky old men who enjoy endurance events also like doors.  And IPA.  And a bunch of other stuff that we won’t post here.
    

Monday 091612

Love me some Casey Neistat.

AM – out before the sun up, and jogged easy over to Phoenix Park, taking in the sites and taking some shots.   

I saw one of these and then came around the corner and saw there was a hold herd.

8 miles

Sunday 091612

   We got to Dublin last night.  Bordeaux to Paris.  Paris to London.  London to Dublin.  A good number of stamps into the passport.|
 When we went to check in, the hotel computers were down and the staff directed us to the bar.  “Have a drink on us until we get this sorted out.”  No problem, I will take a pint of the black stuff please (Guinness in case you don’t follow).  Fortunately the computers did not come on line for a bit.

Eventually they came back to us and were still apologetic about their computers being down.  So, for our “troubles” they had determined a few of the terrace suites were open and we could room there.  Let’s say I am not in a particularly small room.  In fact, there are rooms. 

We had a day to kill here before starting our business in Dublin tomorrow.  I had my eyes on getting in an exploration run:   see the city a bit, get out and take some pictures, and get in some miles.  But then as I was exploring the ‘net over breakfast for some run routes, I found out there was a race for charity (breast cancer research) just 3k up the road. 

Let’s see … free Guinness, in Dublin Ireland, upgraded to a suite, and a 10k race available?  I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I really don’t deserve such goodness!

I got over to the race for prereg  - which opened three hours before the start!  There was already a line.  25 Euro entry, and I bought a pink tech T for 10 Euro (figured KZ would dig it) – all good as it was contributing to charity.  I debated what to do with the extra gear I had.  It would rain a bit.  Then get windy.  Then be clear and warm.  And then rain again.  I elected to jog back to the hotel and I dropped off my gear there.  I jogged around a bit, contemplating how bad a 10k was going to suck given how my legs felt (heavy) with travel weariness.  I decided (again) to not worry about it – bring the camera and have a good time with the whole thing.  I was pretty certain that I could break 40, but then I thought with the lack of any sort of training specific to this – I might be kidding myself.  As I jogged around, I got a variety of pictures – and about 7 miles altogether before the race.

          

The race was supposed to start at 2.  I headed over to the start at about quarter of and folks were already lined up pretty deep.  I took my time slipping my way up towards the start.  There, I decided it was too warm / humid for both the tank singlet and the tech T so I stowed the tech T under the car that was running the timing equipment.  I chatted a bit with the guy who was running the timing.  Zero tension at the front of this race.  Some of that was because it was a charity event, and so there were few competitive folks up front – but I also felt relaxed:  I was racing in Europe!  How cool was that?!

 

At 2:15 (there was no rush to start, and folks on both sides of the line did not seem concerned about it), we were set off with an “on your mark, get set, go” simply said verbally (no mic) for some 3000 runners.  I knew within 1 minute that I was already running TOO fast.  My legs were clearly sending the message “hey, what gives?”   There was a pretty good wind coming out of the west to start, so I tried to work off the early crowd and draft off a couple of guys. 

One guy separated himself pretty early (this would be the 10k winner Figel), but then another guy came up pretty hard after about a half mile and went after him.  I was in a crowd of about four or five.  The pace faltered for a bit – and I should have welcomed the reprieve so early, but I decided – ah, what the heck – and put in a surge to separate myself from them a bit.  Nothing long or hard – maybe 10 seconds of a little more pace.  I would do this a bit over the next mile. 

There were tons of people out watching the race.   Lots of good cheer from people and I was definitely enjoying it.  Crap – I was running a race in freaking Dublin!    As the 5k and the 10k races were combined, I was not sure who was in what race.  I could see the two guys ahead separating themselves from me.  As we passed by some buildings with big glass windows I could begin to see a kid coming up on me.  As we crossed the river and hit the 4k mark, he came by me.  We chatted a bit and I asked him which he was running.  “5k, ‘ow ‘bout chew?” I replied I was doing the 10k.  He smiled at me and said “Damn you fokker.”  And then he tried to accelerate a bit.  I played the game – knowing it was stupid for a 10k, but I was enjoying it.  I yapped at him a bit and he grinned and pushed on some (he sought me out post the race and thanked me, stating it spurred him to a “PB”) (the Irish and the Brits prefer the term PB to PR).

As we were coming into the 5k finish and turn around for the 10k, I saw one guy (Figel) coming out.  He had a large lead.  As I started heading out I could see that I had maybe 30 yards on the next two guys.  Hardly enough and I was feeling the effects of dead legs, and poorly executing on the front half of the race.  We headed back west again, and the wind was stronger this time.  I knew the pace was starting to seriously lag for me, but I figured it was effecting everyone.  We crossed the river south and I could see I had built a little bit – but not much. 

At this point, things started to get chaotic.  We were coming through all the folks walking the 5k.  The further you went through the race, the more people there were.  Then, as we started to head back to the finish, we had to go through the 5k finishers heading in, and the 10k runners heading out.  It was a not conducive to anything quick, but it was not that big a deal.

38:30.  Nothing zippy, but a bit better than I had expected with my current state.  I was not “seeing stars” or anything – but I just did not have legs to go.  I was pretty much grinning the whole time.  Apparently my efforts landed me a 2nd place (37:20 for the win), and 150 Euros.  Sweet.

Post race - I enjoyed the crowd, chit chatting with folks, snapping pictures of people, etc (while trying to stay warm as it started to get cold).  Note – never had a RedBull before. Probably never will again.  That crap is nasty.

So – free Guinness, upgraded hotel, in Ireland, a race with results that landed a bit of dough, and a good day on whole?  Pinch me!!

15 miles.  I am sure I benefited from sea level to some extent – but historically, the advantage that has given me has been pretty small (relatively).  The effort actually gets me wondering what I could do with a bit of specific focus.  My splits varied between 6:01 (miles 1 and 5) and 6:37 (mile 4 – up into that head wind) – so again, nothing zippy, but … well, all good for now.