Tuesday 28FEB2017 End of the month wrap

Jeff let me know that there was an interview up with Tony.  I was surprised to hear him mention this blog as some part of a motivation for his blogging back in that 2007 timeframe.  I think I was motivated to some degree by that community of bloggers… Tony, Lucho, James, Walsh, Beth, Jeff, FatDad, Brandon, etc.  Different time. 

I also did the “hmm … Tony was 23 when he won Leadville … so now he is 34 …”  Geez.  That seems so recent in personal memory but at the same time so long ago.  I recognize that is the of the most typical old person cliches  (“it goes by so fast you young whippersnappers and get off my lawn!!”) …

It seems that every time I hear Tony speak I am impressed with how articulate and intelligent he comes across.  I recognize that sounds like man crush sort of stuff (and there are haters), but I do mean it.  He has a level of insight on what he does and where it sits in “social media” and where he wants to contribute in this world and to be “him.”  I appreciate that level of insight because I feel in these sort of forums it is easy to believe you are a something more than what you really are.  

Afternoon – I had one of those days where … well, let’s say I was described as “wound tight.”  The run was a welcome respite, where I could disappear into the realm of feet pounding, breath heaving, and back sweating.  I did a handful of miles before the practice with the kids and then tacked on another handful with Dan and Greg during practice. 

In the evening, I swung by Flatirons with JZ and got him a set of track spikes for the season.  It was nice.  It was like a kid on Christmas morning.  He was taking pictures of them and just looking at them and saying things like, “Dad, look how awesome these are.”  Love it.

Meanwhile in Germany …

February ends with 294.1 miles, 39.95 hours and 14490 feet.  On the year, I sit at 623.8 miles, 86.63 hours, 32,655 feet.  This puts me at an average of 75.29 miles, 10.46 hours a week on the year.  I have had 1 day off from running, 2 camping nights and 8 business travel nights.   

Beyond the numbers – I feel good.  I have had a good chunk of putting down miles that I have not had in probably the last two years.  It has been a challenge to do that, but that is the easy part really … now I need to shift to training in quality more. 

For a mile … is there any workout that comes to mind more quickly than 10 x 400 at expected mile pace with a minute rest? 

Crimes and climbs

Today actually felt like a fall day.  So far it seems like we have only had a long summer with one day of winter thrown in.

Even though I did some longer strides yesterday (read, 200s on the track), the cooler weather had me itching to do some more challenging (read not faster) work.  I took to a loop at a local park.  It came in to be a third of a mile on the nose, with a combination of turns, sidewalk, grass, downhill and uphill.  Essentially a meaningless loop … except I have visions of doing it again and making it a standard by which I can test myself.  By test myself I mean seeing if I can improve in terms of the overall speed I can hold on these, the number I drum myself into doing, etc.  I did five today, starting at over 2 minutes and eventually carving down to under that on the last.  Again, not quick, but a start to carve from.

My ability to dig and crush myself seems to be compromised though.   I am not sure if this is physical – as in that I am just not fit enough to do stupid stuff to turn myself into jelly … or if it is mental – as in that I have for whatever reason lost a drive that I once had to stick my hand into the fire as much.  Regardless of the reason, I am hardly sore or beat down day after day, and so I am wondering if I ought to be going at it more often in a week (say four or five days rather than a traditional two or three). 

On today’s run, I listened to Gimlet Media’s new show:  Crimetown.  It delves into the organized crime scene of Providence RI over through the story of its mayor Buddy Cianci.  Considered me hooked to this one. 

This is a pretty cool project. 

Weekend

Friday - got together with Lucho’s to shoot the crap with him.  We jogged for a half an hour but mostly yapped … easy chatter.  It was good.  I have not seen him since Leadville (and that was on the course) so it was nice to catch up.   It was a day where there was definitely a shift in the air … a bit more of that taste of fall ending and winter on the edges.  There is rumor that I attempted to do some overhead squats but video evidence of that has been destroyed.

On the way to meet him I almost hit this guy.


Later in the afternoon, I jogged with JZ over to his practice and worked with one of groups as the kids did 5 x a kilo.  It was pretty windy out so the times were all over the place, but it was good work for the kids, and good for me to blow a little bit of the chaff out.  Then it was out for some local evening fun:

FKT article.  What it takes to make the national 24 hour team.

Saturday – 10 miles easy.  Found an entry to the new bike path adjacent to 36 behind the Best Buy (which is going away at the end of the month) and rolled that east for a bit.

Nice wrap up on the Shootout.   Here are the results.

Latest ATUC and ET.

Sunday I slept really late and hard – partly from driving kids around at a late hour, but I also think because I needed to catch up on sleep.  I fgot out for 80 minutes or so, super easy.  I still feel okay for the first 30 minutes but then I am being stubborn and not listening to my legs as they begin a low protest about the activity.  The time of the year is just too nice.

Saturday night was HomecomingI saw this baby snake at Chautauqua.

End of week – 71 miles and 4000 feet. 

Sunday 113014 – JV’s 1000th Ascent of Green.

I had the privilege of joining JV for his 1000th summit of Green Mountain this AM.  Arguably Jeff did this months ago, as he had some additional 100 summits or so before he started formally keeping track.  In any case, today was his count of the 1000th.  A small crew of us gathered to join him on his trek, and the mountaineering experience was off the charts:  Skurka, Homie, Ralston, Bruce, and then we met Tony and Joe at the top. 

I did a short jog with TZ in the AM and thought conditions would be great.  I went out with her around 8 and it was in the 50s. At 9, as I was prepping to head out, I noticed that the temp was dropping and I could see the haze coming in from the west.  It got colder still.  By the time I was leaving the house around 30, it had dropped probably 20 degrees and it would be in the 20s by the time I got to Boulder.  A haze locked in the Flatirons – but this would set up for a beautiful inversion view from the summit.

We hung at the summit for a bit taking in what Jeff has hundreds of times before, and enjoying the moment.  The inversion was pretty amazing.
We headed back down into the cloud (where it was colder too), casually and carefully as there were sections with socked in ice.  Once at the bottom I was able to entice JV into one of his favorite pre/post race treats – a bowl of cereal.  An amazing day for a great guy with an incredible crew.  I had a blast.  Thanks for sharing it Jeff!

Side note – there was a lot of chatter as to how quickly the weather turned.  I found this graphic from the local wunderground web site that reflects how quick the temps dropped.

8:45, 54 degrees.

 
9:30, 24 degrees – and still dropping.

So 30 degrees in 45 minutes.  Amazing!

I ended up with 5.6 on the day (4.6 on the Green RT), and 101 and change on the week. Largest week of the year – but again, just grabbing it while I can.   In general, I held it together fairly well, but it was a little bit of edge island.  I could feel the calf having issues in the front of the week, but it let up.  I did some squats in the middle of the week and I could feel that niggling in the right side for the rest of the week.  Green today was not too bad, but admittedly the effort was very light for these guys.    Leadville lottery opens this week and I expect to throw my name in the hat.

November was a month that I had hoped to get back at it a bit more after the travel month in October.  As it turns out, the months were nearly the same – in October I had 271.7 miles.  November I had 274.4.  34.8 hours in October, and 38.2 in November.  8 days off in October and 5 in November.  In part I think this was because while I was traveling in October, I could commit to a schedule when not working of getting runs done (when just on work travel).  In November, I had a set back at the start of the month with the calf spinning up a bit … so it took me some to work through that.

Thursday 101614

My company engages with the International SOS service company and so whenever I book travel to an international location, I immediately get notification of any travel consideration to that location.  Along the way, if anything is of a particular concern, I also get a notification.  Here is their link for their notification on the current ebola scare. 

I am no fan of OSMP’s top dog, Mike Patton, given the decisions that have been made on his watch, so I hope that his retirement announcement means that subsequently we get a new leader that identifies with usage in a more appropriate manner.

Training for a marathon?  Pressed for time?  No problem.  Bill Murray has a brilliant plan.

Long run around London today, checking out various things, taking shots, dodging the sea of humanity down by the river.  First I went by Abbey Road Studios (it is about a mile from my hotel).
Then I made my way over to Regent Park.  A big outdoor art exhibition is going on there.

I slipped out of the park via the Regent Canal. 

Then over to Hyde Park, Kensington Park and near Kensington Palace.

As I swung out of there I saw Royal Albert Hall.

Down lower in town … well it is not ideal to run with the press of people, the road crossings, etc … really it is probably better to stay in the parks. 

Saw this guy on the path.  He reminded me of Michael Hedges.

Once you get east of Tower Bridge , the Thames path comes and goes, it is not really continuous.  As a result, there are less people and some fun places to run. 

I took breaks along the way for pictures, and got a bite to eat around 16 miles.  I started to head back and got to Trafalgar Square, and hopped the Bakerloo line back to the hotel …. I ended up with 26.7 on the day.  It was easy paced.  Actual running pace was all over the place with it coming to a complete stop at times on some parts on the path.

Zep fans might dig this. RnR was the first song I ever played in a band live.  For what it is worth, I am having a hard time hearing how it is an “alternate mix.”

Good vid with Anton.

Admittedly I am an Anton fan.  The dude is genuine, caring, and passionate.  He comes across to me as pretty damn smart as well.  He is certainly well spoken and when he writes it is good writing.  It probably doesn’t hurt that he dropped me some comments before my first hundred that were personal from his perspective that I called on during that run. His words here ring to me of that same sort of “pep talk.”  It is stuff that we relate to that is well said by Tony, in same way they call on Thoreau … what he said about getting out into nature years ago still rings well with us. 

I wonder however if sometimes those who say these things so well get tired of it.  If instead of speaking of it, they rather be doing it.  Most of us like to share stories, and no doubt, I like to talk, so I sort of expect that people like to talk.  But with some, it is clearly better to be doing than talking (or blogging or facebooking or whatever).

Tuesday 091614

Excellent episode of This American Life this week.  You really should listen. 

Sometimes, as Sage points out, the math of your pace versus your competitor, becomes really evident.

Mid AM – 10.1 miles.  I am in the routine over the last few weeks where I can go easy longish on Sunday, and then some sort of other work on Monday.  I don’t quite get crushed by the long run (of course I probably could if I picked up the pace of it but I am not there yet) on the following day … so I look to double back on Monday a bit.  But Tuesdays I am usually a bit tired.  I was in the legs today as well, so an easy run but trying to keep some semblance of volume as well.

Interesting read from Esquire on Scouting.

Cool video of Tony from UTMB.

Thursday 010914

The athletes who continued running generally adopted non-competitive frameworks such as “putting things in perspective” or “winning was never the only motive.” One interviewee commented that too many runners “just stare at the watch, and their times are the only motivation for training. I see this as a poverty of the mind.”  I have seen folks come and go from the sport, but I clearly have seen guys leave the sport because they are less than enthused with no longer being as competitive or as fast. 

My son is a Dr. Who fan.  For him, from Google Maps … click on the double forward arrow…

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and …

Hmmm … first Symmonds, now Goucher?  I’d have to guess with Coburn and Simpson working with Wetmore in Boulder and Kara going to there as well, Team NB has to be in the mix.  Tony’s team mates can probably dust most ant of us in a workout …

Bounced into Steve M in the cafe at work and he asked if I’d join him for an afternoon run.  Agreed.  He was going to do in and out miles.  I gave him a fair lead, would run with him for a bit and then work the last quarter some.  Helped that these were down wind. 5:57, 5:40, 5:35.  Not a lot of room up top there but I can see it coming back with some work.  Followed it up with 4 x 30 seconds hard (faster than mile pace) and was hitting those pretty well.  So I have some turn over, I just need to be able to hold it.