Thursday 060415

AM – 5.7 miles with JV, Skurka and Roche.  I had been trying to get together with Dave for sometime and it worked out that I was able to connect this up with Jeff and Andrew as well.  Just an awesome crew – good conversation on running, life … well, if you can get a word in while heading up Green.  Just incredibly passionate and positive people …
A little debate on the trail on poles … some say they work wonders.  Others say they keep you from running and encourage you to hike.  And some say they make you a hiker anyway.  I got them in an Amazon order today and intend to start test driving them soon.  I do expect to use them. 

I had intended to do a dental cleaning and then swing back to Chautauqua after a bit of office work for a  longer effort.  But I got word from Dave Mackey that he had a window for visitation and I headed down to Denver Health to see him.

Dave talked me through the accident, the rescue, his current situation and what is projected to come up next with surgeries, rehab, etc.  It will be a tough road.  I will admit it: it is hard to see Dave like this.  Every other time I have seen him he has been a powerful athlete moving through a race, with determination and focus.  He is powerful, determined and focused still but fighting a very different battle of endurance, and probably easily argued the toughest one he has ever faced.   Still, you (and he) see that and you realize how lucky he was/is.  I don’t think you can really think about that and not be moved emotionally.  I certainly was.

So a day of inspiring people … I mean really inspiring people.  The universe speaks.

I am heading up to Laughing Valley Ranch tomorrow night for a burro run with Jack.  If interested in joining, give me a shout.

Late afternoon – 7.3 miles.  Hot. 

Evening – the Pumpkin took a nice tag.  As far as car accidents go, this is about as take as you can get.  I was at a light, making a right on red, signal on.  Someone tried to slip up around me in the bike lane (in their car) and when I made the turn … crunch.  Basically there is no turn lane for them, they tried to make one.  Bummer is that it looks to be three panels that will need to be dealt with.

Wednesday 121714

News – the USATF is ****ed.  It is messed up with its race dq’s, its elections of officers, its shady dealings with corporate sponsors, and its inequity in dealing with funding of female versus male athletes in the MUT space.  And that is just naming a few of the latest issues.  It leaves me wondering if I should even engage in anything the USATF touches, including XC next year.  I feel compelled to because there are a lot of good people trying to change it, and because that event is well – frankly fun.  But I also feel that by showing up, I am supporting an idiot organization.

Then there is the IAAF.

-John Treacy says screw it just train harder Ireland.

-More Friel on periodization.

- I think the stat on what % of boys champs versus girls champs at the HS XC Footlocker championships is interesting – as it tells a story of the arc of girls athletic development versus boys.  It will be interesting to see how NXN champs play out.  I’d think that Efraimson is a pretty good shot at making the Olympics in 2020.

- Not running related but a fascinating article on Yahoo’s ride as of late.

- Solid read from the comments yesterday.

Been getting feedback on my thoughts on Leadville.  Good feedback where folks are telling me what to focus on, what not to worry about.  My largest concern going in is the potential meltdown I’d have after the sunsets.  This is based on a case study of one but I got to a point with that case where I was taking  close to two and a half hours to cover seven miles.  That melt down was probably a combination of being woefully underprepared (very few runs over 15 miles that year), going out a bit fast (although never faster than 8 minute pace on a flat and fast course), but mostly just mailing it in and not digging in when it got dark.  I came buzzing into 50 miles at 8:22, but the smoke showing I was flaming out had started back at 20 miles.  I could smell it.  13 and half hours to cover the next 50.  Ouch.  Bob has been happy to remind me that this 50 mile split is slower than his 100 PR.  In any case, I actually held “okay” for the next two laps (or through 64ish miles).  That put me around 8PM, or shortly after the sun set.  From there, things went really south and miles started going to 20 minutes a mile.  It was obviously some fatigue and not just the dark, but I think I checked out at that point.  Bob was able to get me a little straight in the last lap as the sun was coming back up.  By the way, if you look at that graph, you can calculate how I was actually AHEAD of Bob for the first 50 miles (and he’d catch me some where on lap 8).  Yup.

I expect to listen to this tomorrow.

Afternoon – Bob came out to my area, and given it was cool, he schooled the daylights out of me – even though he is less two weeks out of a marathon.  Did six of the kilo repeats … I really had no fight for 8 today and sadly I knew that going in.  Same gig as a couple of weeks ago … odds are down, evens are up, done on a six minute round.  3:31, 3:48, 3:27, 3:51; 3:29 and 3:54.  That put me at 3:39 across the six (or supposedly an average of 29:12 pace for 8k even though it was only six).  An improvement in some regards over a couple of weeks ago, but a step back in others given the lesser reps.  I ran faster but I ran less reps … could be that I ran faster cuz I was with Bob.  I was put a fork in me done on the last climb on the last one.  But even that one was only as slow as my first return trip a couple of weeks ago.  I will take it as progress.   I want to get to a point where I can average sub six on the climbs and the average at 3:35 (over 8).  I think once I am there my confidence to hold that pace on the flats in the XC race will line up.  I will be back to this one. 11 miles.

Given I saw that nearly every FKT in Valley Forge Park was held by David R, I was surprised when caught one by accident last week.  Of course, I was not surprised when I saw this today:

David – go get this one.

BTMR 2013 071413

Short – felt cruddy, ground on through well however for an improvement over 2011 at 1:53, 10th overall, 1st Master.  Happy on the day despite the challenges.

Long - I stayed at JT’s house last night with Kircher, and Anna (fresh off Western, heading into VT as part of the GS) and Dan.  I got a decent night of sleep, but with some odd dreams (probably from all those growlers at JT/$100 place).

I was up relatively early and out the door to the race by 5:30.  I did some preliminary catching up with David R, Jon O of the CRC, and Craig.  I caught about a mile of warm up over the first half mile of the course – thinking how lousy I felt, but with that first climb up Ruxton, you never feel great.  At the last minute, given the temps, I did the old man move and ditched the shirt.

At the line I yapped a bit with Bill W and then we were off.  I kept to my mantra of “relax” but the W’s are punishing – it seems no matter how easy you go they are kicking you in the teeth.  I fell in ranks behind some guy that smelled really bad, and not far behind eventual women’s winner Laura Haefli.  Up ahead I could see Kircher and Dan quickly making ground.

The W’s remain a test for me – finding the gear that you can manage that is not putting you over the red.  I am not sure how I did today, as some of the competition rolled me up later on the climb to Barr Camp, but I was also picking off others (all younger) that had gone out too fast.  Brett Wilson caught me just before the aid station, and I was a bit discouraged by that – but he was climbing well.  Nonetheless, I managed to keep him in sight.

I found my stomach to be not feeling great – I was dealing with some stitch issues, and I felt a bit bloated (more on this later).  With Brett passing, and seeing Laura incrementally inch away, some self doubt crept in.  It took a bit of self talk to manage through that, but even with that, I am sure the negative tones had some impact.  I just kept the grind going. 

Just before No Name, Brad P came by hard – so hard I was a bit surprised.  He was really rolling the flatter stuff and on the steep stuff he was hiking really well.  While I had rolled up some folks, two guys in the Masters division had just left me behind on the climb – either on the steeper Ws or on the rollers to Barr.  Nice wake up call!  But interestingly, I caught Brett at No Name and put a touch of distance on him.

But they were never too far ahead.  A run to Barr Camp lets that happen.  Things get different beyond the camp, and certainly more so above the A frame.  I could see Brett, Brad and Laura all trading places as the terrain changed, and with that some times I came a bit closer, and at other times they pulled farther away.

Shortly past the bridge to Lightning Creek, men’s winner Alex Nichols came barreling past.  15 seconds after that came David R.  It was interesting to see David that focused.  Every other time I have talked to him, he is light, happy, and so complementary.   I had never seen him race and to see the blaze in his eyes was nice to catch.

Just below Barr Camp I had those thoughts of - “how the hell am I supposed to do double this in a month?”  Pretty much every time I do the BTMR, I wonder – how am I supposed to continue past Barr Camp for another six miles and 3900 feet of climb?    It seems impossible as in the BTMR all I can think about is surviving to Barr Camp itself.

The gap between Laura and I began to close and I wondered if I’d get her before Barr.  Brad was just ahead of her.  We came into the camp all within 30 seconds of each other with me bringing up the rear.  Now with the down at hand, I decided to press a bit to see if I could put some of this to rest. 

And then I barfed.  I ended up barfing up coffee three times on the way down.  Nothing violent but just a bit more than a mouthful emptying the stomach some.  I sort of welcomed this as it brought me some relief, but it reflected how crappy my stomach was doing. 

Within a couple of minutes I rolled up Laura and Brad, and of course, once you pass someone, you press the gas a bit to put up some distance.  I periodically found myself falling asleep at the wheel on the down (particularly the risers back) and I tried to wake up and get some drive going.

I spotted another runner just before Bob’s, and that gave me a target.  I caught him just below it, and then I saw another runner and started pushing for him.  This guy however got an eyeball on me, and it was clear that while he was not having his greatest race, he was not looking to get rolled up by a hairy grey chest.  He hit the gas at a level that perhaps I could once easily match, but not in this decade.

I kept the “run scared” push going to the W’s, expecting Kircher to show up (I caught him in the Ws but thought he’d bomb the down), or Brad.  My legs felt pretty heavy, and I could feel the very early onset of possible cramps (uh oh).   Coming through the Ws aid station I could hear the station light up less than 10 seconds after me.  Someone was coming on me pretty hard.  In a switch back I looked up and could see a younger shirtless guy coming on strong.  I figured it was a done deal, but making him fight for it kept me motivated.  As it turned out, I was able to put a bit of gap on him once we got to the road (and out of the nastiness of the speed up speed down of the Ws). (pic from PikesPeakSPorts.us)

I finished 10th, 1:53:33 and first master.  A long stretch from my best (2008, 1:47:21), but better than 2 years ago (1:58).   Most of that better came on the down and the press that came from that.  All my splits over the years are over in this Google Doc sheet (the BTMR stuff is quite a ways to the right).  I fully expect to heavily geek out on that in the coming days.

 
(pic from PikesPeakSPorts.us)

Related, other thoughts.

=>David, in his first run on the Barr came in second.  He was leading for a bit but took a digger on the Ws in the switchbacks – most likely the outcome of being new to the course (where as it is Alex’s playground).  That dude is solid.  He hit 1:35.
=> David’s dog is more cute than what appears on FB.  Then again, him and Megan are more cute than how they appear on FB.
=> I did a bit of jogging back up the trail post the race to get a few more miles in.  Just after the Ws cutoff an old guy took a digger as he was coming down, maybe some 40 yards ahead of me.  It was BAD.  He cut his nose, forehead, chin, cheeks, arms, legs and there was suddenly blood all over the place.  I tried to help him to a rock (this in turn left blood all over me, my shoes, my number) but he quickly got up and continued to the finish.  He was a mess.  I jogged with him for a bit, and he seemed cogent.  Turns out he was the age group winner for 70 year olds. (pic from PikesPeakSPorts.us)

=> The race fell into about what I expected (maybe I should have had different expectations) in terms of time.  I did not think I was quite in the zip shape I was in 08, but I thought I was in better shape than 2011.  I never felt great, but I am glad that I did what I did given how I felt and with the sour stomach.
=> I got some compliments (and nice awards) for being top Master, and those are great. I also recognize that is much a factor as to who shows up … and who doesn’t (Carpenter, Boettcher, Mackey, Gutierrez, Romero).  I think it is completely fair to say that the depth of competition at the race this year was a bit light compared to many of the other years.  I have finished in past years six minutes faster and barely cracked the top twenty.  I think for BTMR this is because of coming out of the fire year, but also because big name might be holding back for Cranmore next week.
=> as I was coming down, some guy (that I am pretty sure I don’t know) yelled, “hey it is the blog guy.” 
=> It was interesting to see the strengths of some of the others guys in the Masters race … Brett is probably the best climber between himself, Brad and me.  Brad can roll the flatter stuff best right now and I nipped them on the down.  This should set up for an interesting PPM if we all make it to the line.  If I had to pick today, I’d give the nod to Brett – as there are six more miles for him to gap the rest of us.  But – that is why we run the race!
=> Wore the gloves but thankfully I did not fall. 
=> I did a warm down of 4 miles ish afterwards – VERY slow.  My legs were pretty well concrete, but I ended up with 17.8 and some 4500 feet of climb on the day.
=> No water or gels or anything during the race today.  My stomach just could not handle it.
=> Laura H’s win is probably the story of the day – winning out of the 45 age group and coming off a cracked rib this spring.  I felt a touch embarrassed to be Master’s winner next to her when her performance was nearly the same as mine – and she beat me to the Camp anyway.

=> I got a pick axe for the win.  I will get a picture up shortly.  I was pretty stoked to get this as it is a unique and cool award.
=> How bad ass is Senovio Torres?
=> Got to share some good conversation with Jeremy Bradford (a guy who won 7 100s last year), Bill W, Brad, Bethany, John G, Kircher, Craig, David, Amy P and Don S pre and post race and that is always fun.
=> 66.1 on the week (first week sub seventy in a few months), 9.5 hours, 6k of climb.
=> I hope the BTMR results DB gets updated.
=> The car ride back was probably almost as painful as the run.  Well, not really, but I thought I was gonna pop on that stretch of 25 for a bit.

All this said …much more to post on much in my head … but I am happy with today’s race.  I got a bit lucky with the placing but important to me is that I was having a tough day and was able to grind on through.  Toeing the line on the mountain is always humbling, but doing in it in the spirit of competition with the Pikes community – and sharing that is always invigorating.

 

Did I mention I got a freaking pick axe hammer? (pic from Pikespeaksports.us)