Recent stuff

Some articles/ posts that have caught my eye recently, although I have been more likely to be trolling milesplit these days.

• Nick P’s report on coming up short on the FKT on Nolans because of a route mishap.
• Good stuff in this post from Alex on the heels of his recent 100 (a DNF).
• Another DNF story, and I always appreciate the honesty from this guy.
• Catching up on this read from Joe Gray winning the WMRC: I heard about how the Uganda that won (and was later DQ’d so Joe got the win) was paced but this gives you the story from Joe’s perspective. 
• Latest ATC.
• Nutcase minions are at it again.
• Transgendered fell runner stabs an official for fear of being outed as male.  I remember seeing this competitor at Pikes a few years back.  The whole thing got me wondering again about “categories” in sport.  We have gender categories, categories for age, and categories for disabilities in the Paralympics.  The purpose is to create a “fair” field of play so that similar “categoried” athletes have the opportunity to compete against each other.  Why wouldn’t this also be done for transgender athletes or athletes with a gender “ambiguity?”
• I had no idea that Jamil C was doing this stuff.  Well done.
  

Still plugging away with attempts at something resembling structured training.  At least enough to put the rattle in the lungs a couple of times in a week. 

KZ appears to be enjoying German pretzels.

JZ at a recent Honor Roll ceremony at school.  Quick shot so it ended up blurry.

JZ at the BrHS Invite meet:

Enjoy this:

Saturday 062015

I am getting back into town and here are a few of the links I picked at on the flight back from Fort Lauderdale (which, as a side note was perhaps one of the happiest flights I have ever been on.  People who had never met each other were suddenly just gladly yapping with each other and laughing.  It was like some sort of party bus.

Yes, this was wonderful).

- First, I am catching up on Dave Mackey.  I got a bit of wind of it when he was in the hospital but it appears to be public now - he’s facing significant medical bills from his accident.  If you are interested in helping him out, you can do that on line.
- Good read on Overtraining …
-Thinking about getting a coach?  Check out these things to consider.
- Ron Clarke passed away recently.  Consider it runner homework if you do not know who he is.
- This is a good race report of an out of towner about the Bolder Boulder.  I love his beards in TN reference.
- Touching post by Lauren F about her Dad.  She is also talking about Alberto.   And more and more are coming out alleging of rule breaking practices.
- I read more of what Kemibe would write if he wrote it.

Loads of race stuff – Leadville Marathon and half, Mount Washington (with Joe Gray running sub 59 and breaking Carpenter’s AR on the course), Bighorn … I will settle through those over the next couple of days.

Nearly all of the day was catching up:  we got in around midnight last night.  Unpacking this AM, packing up JZ for Bighorn (he is staffing a Scout camp up at Tahosa outside of Ward) and then getting him up there, picking up TZ at the airport, and catching everyone up in the family (we were all out somewhere last week). 

Various on Wednesday

Evening – 3 very easy miles.  Raining again. 

The local track.  Very little action … more on the fenced in soccer pitches actually.

Headed into town in the evening and met up with Sean B.  Threw back a few brews, chatted running and the like.  A million miles from home but awesome to chat with a guy in our running family.

The Tube.  I sort of love it.  I love subways.  Sort of.  I realize they are sort of nasty things but I see them as incredible marvels.  In their own way, they are engineering feats that are even grander than Saint Paul’s cathedral.  But they won’t get that sort of recognition.  They are just these work horse people movers.  And deep under the ground. 
And there is this weird dance we do on them that I don’t get to see that often.  You are only a few feet from people but – nope – we are all on our own little ipod planet.

And there the mice down there too.  I guess some might call those rats.

We finished up the primary part of our engagement here in London today so I had a bit of time to blast through some gabiziilion posts, readings on work stuff, running, healthcare, medical device regulations, etc this afternoon.  I still have a ton but I got about half way through it.  A few items to share from that are further below.

Today’s listening.  Hawkins drums probably don’t get the credit they ought to given who is in the band, but dude is solid on the skins.

The boss of the boss of the boss of my boss presents on healthcare.

More listening.

Good read from Dina on her lessons from Leadville.

Fact of the Week:  If you run 2:09:12 or slower in the marathon you are actually closer to the women’s world record than the men’s. Only nine American men have ever run faster than 2:09:12.  Other marathon stuff: 
- Cool recap of Jonesy’s record in the marathon from 30 years ago.  Great take on this year’s Chicago, including that it is really remembered as one where Bekele did not meet expectations.  I need to go back and read this when I have more time but the latest from SoS on the sub 2 marathon thing.
- I am shaking my head a Mirinda’s marathon at Kona.  Faster than all the men’s field.  Wow. 
-  Shalene post her coming up short of an AR at Berlin.  She seems to be one cool lady. 

So while it does not get the play of minimalist shoes (or then maximalist shoes) or some other trend in training, there has clearly been a bit of a growth in the thought that you should eat less in your ultra.

Running is the most popular and most debilitating form of exercise. Up to 80% of runners are in pain on any given run, no matter the distance, intensity, or course.  Of course.  Buck up buttercup.

I am not worthy of this.

Various reads …

More than a few hundred posts, blogs, etc to wade through … here are a few that got a little more attention from me.

I probably do it – I use the term speed work and interval incorrectly. I think I use the term base correctly, but frankly – I don’t really periodize training anyway (as I am just exercising right now and not training).  I like what Jay posts and I am going to see if I can swing the schedule to get out for a run with him sometime.

I am not a fan of “do these workouts to get your best performance at such and such a distance” but periodically I find that some are a good reminder.  Of course, again that would mean training.

Manzano’s core workout.  Some of that stuff I have never even seen.

Apparently if the engine is hot enough you might not burn it off.

There looks to be a half marathon on June 29 (or a 10k) finishing in downtown Boulder on June 29.  I was also contemplating the Frank Shorter 5k, but I saw it was 40 bucks for that.  That might be a sign of the #GOM … grousing about the cost of races.

An interesting read on how athletes can tend to focus on some training element (in this article, fat adaptation) versus actual performance (sort of what Lucho has talked about in terms of MAF HRs).

Sara posted in the comments a link to the “overprotected kid” article.  It seems to be popping up in a few different places I frequent.

100 songs from the recent SxSW extravaganza.  Some good stuff in there.

Monday 012014

Good article on British legend runner who just passed away, Chris Chataway.  The UK obit is good too … figure Brownie has to love this guy as he lit a cigar after setting the WR in the 5k.

Sad story … we recall reading last summer of how a guy went out for a jog and was shot by some teenagers who “were bored …”  some of the details to that story here.

Had a conversation with one of the Scouts this weekend that is a freshman at the HS.  I was asking him what his goals were for the season.  He gave a time for the “two mile.”  Of course, I raised an eyebrow and asked, “Two mile or 3200?”  He looked at me confused and replied, “what’s the difference?”  After taking in his confused look when I laughed and said “approximately 18 meters,” he got the old man speech.  “Kid … when I was a kid, tracks were cinder dirt! (sometimes!)  And 400 yards!  (also sometimes!) And …”

I registered for XC cross today.  I had to click a “read and accept” statement that said:  “Athletes who participate in this competition are subject to drug testing performed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in accordance with the USADA Protocol for Olympic Movement Testing. The use of ALL dietary supplements is "at the athlete's own risk of committing a doping violation." Testing may take place at any time or after any round - preliminary, qualifying, or final - USADA typically selects place finishers and random athletes. Checking to see if the medication you take is allowed could be the difference between passing your test and serving a doping ban. A search on USADA's easy-to-use Drug Reference Online (www.globaldro.com) or a quick call to USADA's Drug Reference Line (1-800-233-0393) and following-up with any necessary forms is all it takes to pass with flying colors. The adjudication of anti-doping rule violations or refusals to test will be carried out by USADA. Athletes found to have committed a doping violation will be disciplined according to penalties specified by the World Anti-Doping Code and, if appropriate, applicable IAAF rules. Such penalties may result in a period of ineligibility as well as disqualification from the event.”

Anyway, reg is pretty light across almost all the races thus far.  I expect that to light up a bit in the next couple of weeks.  Team here is almost fully registered.

10 miles in the afternoon, easy to steady in 75 minutes.

Various Tuesday Night

The snow is starting to fly here, but it is cold enough that I think it will be the fine powdery stuff.  Sorry kids, I don’t foresee a snow day for you.

I am supposed to present to my son’s troop next week some information on cold weather camping.  They asked me to cover hazards, so of course hypothermia, frostbite, dehydration immediately come to mind.   I need to keep in mind the difference between the cold weather camping these guys will do and cold weather backpacking that I used to do in college.  That was stuff that was definitely learn by doing, and sometimes it was a bit of a harsh lesson (waking up cold in the middle of the night in your 20 bag when the temp has decided to drop to zero only happens once because you either correct it or you never go camping in that again).

Started nailing in some of the basics of the CT trip tonight.  Admittedly, this excites me more than any race I am thinking about next year.  I am currently thinking taking it out of Kenosha, down into Breck but then heading south down to Quandary and the like off the CT.  More to come on that.

Mary Cain is the USATF Youth AOY.  Yup.  I really want to think the Salazar program is clean.  Please.  Please be clean.  There are these loose accusations of some sort of endocrine system prescriptions that sound less than stellar.  Given I can’t think of a case where there has been smoke (accusations) but no fire (never found guilty) in a program, I hesitate to be totally stoked about pro track … but I really want to be.  Maybe Nick Symmonds is our hope.  If you are really nutty on track, you could enjoy this.  But if international XC is more your cup of tea, you should check this out.

There are also the USATF MUT runners and the like of the year.  This should ring more true with me as it has pictures of Stevie Kremer (who I thought I might run near at Pikes until about Hydro Street when she decided she was done warming up) and Brian Meltzer running with Jack.  I had to laugh because when I went to the page expecting to see pix of Max King and the like and was greeted with pix of Bill Lee and Jack, I was snared.

Side note, when I see that picture of folks coming off of Ruxton, I get a little amped.

Todd outlines that the Mesa is fully open now.  I sort of have this old man cynic thing going on … like we are supposed to celebrate that OSMP opened something when I feel they should have never closed it in the first place.  Still a lot of stuff around Green that is closed anyway.

A beer advent calendar.  How freaking obvious and smart is that even and why didn’t I hear of this before?

Tuesday 090912

Pessac (Bordeaux), France.  Traveled here most of the day, starting Sunday.  DEN=>ATL=>CDG=>BOR.
Delayed sleep most of the flight, catching up on Django Unchained, Iron Man 3, and a good part of Storm of Swords that I am reading.

It was raining when I got here, but I got out anyway, just to unravel the travel on the legs.  7 miles.

The Peugeot car I have is a diesel, but essentially turns off when I would normally stop to idle.  No get up and go off the line but impressive that it keeps the e- systems all running at par.


Blogger is all mad at me thinking I am hacking my account as I am posting from France.

Tired now …  

Thursday 012413

Pikes entry details are up.  The only significant change is tri-folks can’t use run times from IMs or half IMs.  I will be at the keys a’ready come March 1.

Middle route today.  Apparently my best on this route is 43:17 but I need to go back to 2011 to get that.  That is a FAR cry from many who have gone faster.  I can’t find a full segment on Strava for this route out of Gregory, so I might need to create one.   Last year, I managed to muster up a 43:36.

I tend to forget all the splits on these runs, and so I can never really tell if I am ahead of some particular pace or not.  But I knew I did not feel great in the legs from the early go today.  I guess perhaps I was feeling the greater climbing of yesterday.  I glanced at my watch at the 2nd bridge and saw 6:05, and then I recall seeing around 17:30 near the ranger cabin.  I was at 28:30 on the turn back to Green.  I also tend to look at my watch at the creek crossing right near 2 miles and today it was just under 26.  I think I have been under 25 when getting there at points in the past when I am tagging it.  In any case, without knowing the splits like I do now, I knew that my head wanted to get after it but my legs were not having a lot of it.  I really blew up on the upper stretches, walking most of the steps.  46:18 (so Strava thinks the segments that it records on this are my best).  Still, I was satisfied with the effort a day after a larger one (and in part because I think the little patches of snow still slow me down too). 

While a PR is three minutes away, that difference is not as big as it sounds.  It is hard to describe.  There are days you can be out there busting it and it is as if you are fighting the mountain – going nowhere or at least not up much for all the work you are doing.  Then there are other days where you are still working but the times click and you can dig even deeper.  The flats you can pour it on.  The ups hurt but you are riding the line of 2 beats of the heart just like a surfer hitting the perfect wave.  Screw up and you blow it, but you can just ride it a little longer.  The blow up (like I encountered today) does not come until you summit in a sweat and spittle covered tunnel visioned haze of self induced oxygen deprivation and leg muscles screaming for a reprieve (this has a great impact on the college aged ladies at the top … nothing like a middle aged shaved head man with no shirt but a bra strap on sounding like he is about to die as he crests the hill to make them want to get the hell out of there quickly).

It dawned on me  in writing this that I am just assuming I will run faster on this route.  I just need to assume that still.  I mean, I guess there are some PRs that I have that I am fairly certain I won’t beat now that I am older, but these don’t fall into that category.  Yet.  Maybe that is foolish, or short sighted, but I sort of feel that if I concede my best days on climbing Green are behind me, then my best days in climbing Green will be behind me.  No need for that.

Monday 110512

Afternoon – super easy nine miles with Footfeathers.  Always good to get together with this guy. 
=======
A bit different type of article (“you teach people how to treat you, teach them well.”), but one I got a lot out of by someone who is emerging into one of my favorite business acumen authors, Lisa L.  

Scott L (who if I recall correctly ran for the dreaded E-C Eagle back in CT) had an awesome Javelina weekend … as a pacer, because he happened to have an airplane layover there.  SWEET.

"A Kenyan runner's mentality is to run at the right speed," says Canova's assistant in Iten, Kenya. "The Western runner's mentality is to run the right distance. I'm not necessarily saying one is better than another, but that's just how the mind-set works."  Canova stuff, good read.  Thanks for the tip Ken.

USTAF awards for MUT.  Glad to see King and Morton get some props.  Dunham and Van Orden clean up on the Masters side.

People at my work chuckle at me when I say, “I come to work to relax.”  But seriously, I often find my work a bit relaxing. It is a nice change of mental and physical pace compared to other aspects of my life (in which I am incredibly bless and love).  Of course, my life is pretty extra-ordinary.  Nothing epic (the video is a bit nuts).
================================
I have not really looked at training load in a bit, but a comment in yesterday’s post by Le Manchot got me thinking about what that looks like.  So I went and looked. 

A few (fairly boring to most) notes on this: 

• I typically use Sporttracks 2.1 – as it is the older freeware version.  However,that version has been sunset and so getting plug ins for thing like training load don’t exist (anymore for that version).  I downloaded the latest 3.0 version as a trial (35 bucks for the full version) and grabbed the TSS plug in for that (also limited to 120 days unless I then buy the 10 dollar plug in) on a trial basis.  I’d say I’d go buy these, but I probably won’t.  It is not simply that important to me.  35 bucks going to shoes makes more sense (to me).
• As a refresher (at a very high level because there are guys who could talk 400 meter repeats around me on this) … brown bars represent any day’s effort.  Based on time at a some HR, you get a TRIMP score for that workout.  Yesterday’s run had a TRIMP of 197.  This has impact into calculating the ATL (acute training load) (which if memory serves me correct is based on a 7 day rolling calculation) .  That is the red line.  The blue line is based on a longer term average, and it is the CTL ("chronic training load.”)  So the brown is what you did today.  The red is your fatigue.  The blue is your fitness. 

• The issue with my chart above (and pic) is that I don’t wear my HR monitor all the time.  So, on Saturday I did a tempo by feel for 3 miles.  No HR monitor.  No training load-stress score for that.  So the curve gets messed up.  And I was not really wearing it in September (as you can see with the sudden climb starting in October). 
• TSB is the training stress balance, or the CTL – ATL.  Negative TSB is typical in a high training load period.  Positive could be a fair indicator of a good performance after a period of consistent training (so the red line dips below the blue line because you have tapered your efforts as reflected in the brown lines).

So what?  I see this as another data point.  Not a huge driver, but yet another thing you can keep your eye on, like resting HR, weight, pace at MAF, some workout you do, how you feel, a time trial, etc.  It might steer your activities a bit, but you should not be a slave to it.  Which leads to this:

But, that said, for a guy like me, who has tended to overdo it in the past on easy days, I might play with this a bit in the coming months to see if I can better dial that in (although I think I have gotten better on that in this fall season). 

Or I might just scrap the chart (as I did over the last year) altogether.
=======================

Saturday 050811

Longer report coming but quick update… split the first half in 3:40-3:45 ish and was feeling great.  Headed out for a second lap and was moving well.    Checked in at aid station 3 (3 stations to go) and figured if I could average 10 minute miles, I’d be under 8 hours.  It would be challenging but do-able.  Came up to 39 miles, expecting to see aid station 2 – but it was aid station 1.  Asked how many were ahead of me and heard “one.”  Realized right there I had taken a wrong turn somewhere.  Contemplated for a moment going back and correcting the mistake, but that would turn this 50 miler into something longer.  Shuffled-jogged-walked it in, and suddenly, without the objective of a race in the mix, the 9 minute miles that had felt fine were replaced by 13 minute miles that felt horrible.  Ended up with 45 miles.

Here is a shot of where I made the wrong turn:

Longer post coming – learned a lot out there about ultras, nutrition, my feet, downhills, people, myself, selfishness, the sport, the brain …

Obviously disappointed to not be an ultrarunner yet, but it would not be me if there was not some significant drama to all this.

North Face 50 - a few of quick observations

Results.

Looks and sounds like it was quite a battle between Heras, Roes, Mackey and Dakota. Kudos to Northface for making a fine race by putting the purse out there. And well done to the runners. It is hard to imagine what that sort of pace means. Most folks I know that run fight for a BQ in a road marathon. These guys do that on trail, with elevation ... and then double the distance.

Got to wonder a bit ... what if such and such was there. Nah. Don't wonder that.

Is Heras related to this climbing specialist in cycling that was with Lance?

Adam Campbell raised a good question: would this be a better race if held earlier in the year? The December timing does not set up for the best part of the year, but certainly does mean the race does not have to compete against other headliners.

Still looking to see how Brooks does versus Brandon, but early indications looks like Brooks takes it.

Races still do a craptastic job in providing coverage, but I guess they are not motivated to do much. They are not really compelled to provide coverage, and when guys like Justin push updates via Nick, or Bryon is shoving tweets out there every ten minutes - the race does not need to deal with the expense. That said, at least NF has results getting up there pretty quick.

I will admit I am both a bit surprised and motivated by Dave's result today. Seeing how he did over the last year or so (or than his recent stuff), I thought he may have turned a chapter and be generally done. I am stoked to see he ain't.

Kudos to Steidl for hanging in there and fightin the fight on what was obviously not his best day.

Not sure if the times this year are comparable to past years ... as I hear the course has been changed, tweaked a bit year over year.

Various news and links

Work has been extraordinarily busy, and so some of my blog cruising and net surfing has been a touch hampered.  Just catching up on some of these interesting reads.

Back country travelers might be required to carry poop bags.  Interesting read for me because I have always just dug a hole, or did the rock smear thing.  Given our upcoming San Juan river trip, we have a “groove box” that we will use for the week.  Whole new experience there.

Bummed out?  Go exercise.  Might explain why you get bummed out when injured.

Boston kings show the secret training … (last year)

5k training … Good stuff from Magill, although I am more inclined to go a set distance than a specific time for the shorter stuff.

Ron Hill interview.  You gotta keep moving. Sometimes it hurts. … I saw a woman who said, "Running's not good for your knees." I said: "Okay, but I've got 150,000 miles on these knees and they're working quite well." She said: "That's only because you're so slim." I said: "Well, how do you think I got this slim, and stay this slim?"

Tuesday 020210

In the arena of “go up” silliness, the Empire State Building run up results have been posted.  Dold wins for the fifth time, USMRT 09 member Byrne was the top American male (third overall).  Mountain vet, Moon from New Zealand was the top woman.  Article …

Rick moved

I could tell that I was feeling on when I woke up.  All runners know this feeling at some point.  You can wake up and feel off … but there are days when you know, for whatever reason you are ready to roll.  Legs felt light and ready.  Sure, there was still some fatigue from the weekend load in there, but it was blanketed with a feeling of strength.  In the AM I got out for a 3 mile jog/walk with TZ, and then tacked on a real easy 2 miles.

Mid day, under beautiful weather, I got back outdoors for a progression run (versus the mill stuff I have been doing), ala the same flavor as last month.  I had to keep telling myself to hold back in the early miles, because it is equally as important for me to run this run progressively faster – not just faster overall.  Again, some of the run naturally lends to a faster second half because of the downhill nature of the second half, but I am okay with that for now.  Again, tried to treat this like a classic out and back, with the second half building to 10k+10/20 sec per mile effort – meaning I am not going over the top or straining ever (“good speed.”)  7:45, 7:27, 7:08, 7:00, 6:56, 6:49. 6:24. 6:11, 5:57, 5:37.  Felt great.  (What a difference 24 hours makes!).  Now – the biggest head game for me will be this:  don’t expect this every progression run.  I can see myself wanting to race this each time I go out on this route – note to self:  NOT NECESSARY.  Just chill …

I did a little post analysis between this run and the one from last month.  AHR a month ago was 164, and today was 162.  There is variance (but not a lot), from mile to mile on the HR effort (where some were higher this time, some were higher last time) … so it becomes a bit harder to correlate.

Tuesday 011210

Semick, Roes named as UROY.

Need comedy?  Then enjoy the comments from Mark McGwire the liar, who apparently did not do PED’s for the purposes of getting HRs, but “health purposes.”   Umm – yeah.  That is the point of performance enhancing drugs.  They change and improve your health (hence what they are called).  I wonder if I could cut the course of my next race, get the win and a course record but look to make it better by saying I cut it not for the win but for health purposes.  Simply – WTF?  Take this guy’s record away, and ban him from any involvement in any professional sport for life. 

11 miles.  7 with Ken, Dave, and Steve at work and then tacked on four more.  EZ, 8 minute pace.

Wednesday 120909

9.5 hours of meetings today at work.  It hurt after a bit.  Well, beats the alternatives of digging ditches or unemployment.  Very easy five miles on the mill in the evening.  Started at 9PM. 

Good conversation in the comments here about the FF – open racing team … although it stings a bit.  I am stoked to be part of the masters team we are sending to Club Nats.  At the same time, I recognize that I never did much to contribute to pushing a regular team presence in open competition with our FF squad.  I can come up with excuses (wasn’t interested, wasn’t fast enough, too expensive to travel, the FF team was not that interested in creating a competitive team, I had other priorities) but I took a shot (in jest) at Justin that stings us all a bit (I think).   I loosely called on him to push the open team, but that is not really fair as I never really did it either.

Colder Boulder results are up.

Fitzgerald write up on “over training” (although it is really more about over doing it).  But, it and this - good read on the repeatability of training (via mzungo) endorse more easy miles, more base building, more …

Got this cool video from NF50 from Derrick S.  So if you can run like that for 50 miles … you get 10000 bones.  ;)

Mount Evans Ascent, the same day as Mount Washington (in case you don’t make that lottery) will have course record prize money.  Could mean a 650 pay day this year to a course record masters winner : 

PRIZE $$$: The top male and female runners will take home $300 each, and the top masters runners (age 40+) will take home $100. The Boulder Fleet Feet running store has also kicked in $100 bonuses to the top male and female finishers age 50 and over.  NEW THIS YEAR - WE WILL BE OFFERING A $250 COURSE RECORD BONUS FOR THE FIRST PLACE MALE AND FEMALE RUNNERS. IF THE PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED, THEN WE WILL ADD $100 TO THE INCENTIVE IN EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR!

Monday 113009

 

 

North Face 50 entry list for this weekend (with 10000 bones on the line) is up.  On the men’s side, I see Uli, Nichols,  Wardian, and Roes on the list.  On the women’s I see Smith and Semick.  Lots of speculation floating about names that might  pop up on there.

 

10 miles easy in the evening.    November finishes with 316 miles.  3365 miles on the year and 29629 minutes.  Watched “My Name is Earl” while on the mill.  I don’t watch a lot of TV and when I do it is mostly a sporting event.  Holy crap that show is out there.

Just catching up on this … I might have to pull some of these tactics on Justin M next year at Pikes if a.) he keeps growing his hair and b.) I run it … or maybe if Brandon keep on his exponential improvement curve.
 

MROY and UROY

Article
Mountain open men – Joe Gray
Mountain open women – Brandy Erholtz
Masters Mountain Men  – Dave Dunham
Masters Mountain Women - Laura Haefeli
Ultra Open Women – Kami Semick
Ultra Open Men – Michael Wardian
Ultra Masters Men -- Roy Pirrung
Ultra Masters Women – Anita Ortiz

I am a bit outsider on all things ultra but not sure how Wardian gets the nod over Roes? 

Sunday 091309

• Michael Pollan posted an op-ed in the NYT – correlating our nation’s concerns about health care, and how we pay for it, to government subsidized agri-business. We’re spending $147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes, and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease and the many types of cancer that have been linked to the so-called Western diet.
• Karl’s analysis of Wasatch … Geoff indicating he needs therapy after being chased for 85 miles.
• Parr:  4 Races in 5 weeks: 138 miles raced, 3 first places, 5 countries… tiring, but good season so far.
• Yesterday the weather went from Indian Summer to mid fall. The high was in the 60s – which was nice. Most of the day was spent getting wet under rainy skies at soccer games.
• Picked up a new pair of Cascadia’s. Solid shoe but they seem to enjoy making the shoe as fugly as possible. The WS100 insole map is cute. I like what they have done with the outsole as well. As a general rule, any trail shoe that has an outsole with a “hard plastic" cross bar (like many shoes, not these) are not going to work for me. I want a lot of sole to keep in contact with.
  
• TZ was sick so I stayed close to home – on the mill in the garage.  It was hot in there in the afternoon.  Did a test, with about the same results as last week.  7:59, 8:07, 8:13, 8:20, 8:17, AHR = 147, 40:56 with a 1.5% grade.  8 miles.  I had planned for a day with about twice this mileage, but it just didn’t work out – and it was not critical for me to get it.
• Decent week given I have no true or well defined training objectives … 78miles,  ~11.25 hours for the week, 146 miles on September, about 20.75 hours. 2511 miles on the year, 22229 minutes.  The stiffness in the knee finally started to subside over the weekend – so that is good news.  I bumped into fellow FF’er Rich Dissley yesterday at one of the soccer games yesterday and he asked when I was a master.  When I told him that milestone had recently passed, he noted that we needed to get the guys together soon for some training for Club XC Nats.

Thursday 091009

• Extensive and good post by Dave D on his trip to Italy as one of the WMRC US team managers. Good synopsis of the WMRC from RT
• Tim Parr report on WMRC - including impact of Pb. I am wondering if my questioning if there was an impact on his WMRC race from Leadville is just an arsehole question on my part. His season has obviously been epic. He qualified for the WMRC convincingly. Who am I to question his approach or any team members?
• Erik Skaggs posts re: his recovery from renal failure.
• Wasatch 100 this weekend.
• Local upcoming races to consider ...
• Mid day - 8 miles. I had the HR monitor on, but I elected to pay no attention it and run easy based on how I felt, and then see what pace, HR was later. AHR turned out to be 152, with a pace over rolling terrain (on a hot day) of 8:39. Whatever.
• PM - 4 miles. Again, not watching HR and just ran. It was slow. It was fast (well, sort of in a relative way). It was fun.

Thursday 090309

• Good intro to this weekend’s WMRC ... and a more detailed review
• Justin’s blog re: TRR. Damn. DCH post too. It is pretty clear that hanging out with your buddies for a week running may not necessarily be the vacation you were expecting.
• Byron Powell with a very good post re: Leadville
• Perhaps as part of an aftermath wave of Erik Skaggs fight with renal failure, I am seeing lots of posts pointing out Vitamin I is not a good idea for endurance folks.
• 12 miles. Felt sluggish physically, but mentally just enjoyed the time out.
• Pups … (the female  - the red brown one, her eyes have opened)