Wednesday 123009

Pressed for time today, but no big deal.  It was pretty cold and breezy out.  The blue skies we had yesterday were replaced with a murky gray, as a front was blowing in (ambient in the teens, not sure of the wind but probably less than 15)..  Warmed up two miles with the dogs out to Dead Toad Road and back (2 miles +) and then did 10 by 1 minute on, 1 minute off near CDPeaks house (to keep it close).  The ons were uphill – about 4-5% grade.  So, given the 10500 feet elevation, these were not zippy, but definitely got the HR up.  Jogged out about a half mile post the last and then had a half mile climb back to the house.  There is no road way to get to CDPeaks house without going up hill …

… definitely had thoughts about some standard workouts here next summer.  I have made going to Mosquito Pass the standard, but I could do just as well on a loop course here, and a set of something similar to Lindens (except higher).

Six miles.  Probably will day off tomorrow to ski.  If so, I finish the year with 3656 miles.  Nearly all of my runs have been actually a little more than what I write … “just to be sure.”  In other words, in some of my early runs with the Garmin, I saw 5 miles on the watch (as an example) and then would load it into the computer.  The computer would then read 4.99.  WTF?!  This would drive me NUTS.  It did not happen all the time, but was more prone to happen with runs with more turns.  So I incorporated the 1% rule.  Meaning I’d add 1% to each run “to be sure.”  So if I run 6 miles, I’d look to make it 6.06.  At least one person I know says this makes the Garmin the wrist bitch.  So all that said … I think it is a solid number for the year. 

Unless I effed up the math.

Tuesday 122909

KZ turned 12 today.  We celebrated in the mountains with some sledding in the back country.  After we all got nicely wet and cold, I elected to run home.  It took me a mile to feel my feet, and then another mile to get over that feeling where they feel like they are burning (as the sensation comes back to them).  8 miles.  The last mile was a bit of a push, as I wanted it under nine and it climbed 230 feet (which should not be a big deal, but it is a bit more of an issue at the end of a run at 10k feet).  3650 on the year for what it is worth.  It is a nice number, but these stats are one of many that are more impressive.

Pix from the weekend …

 

Good read from Tucker and Dugas re: East African dominance in the marathon

Uli S’ post of the 2007 NF – that’s right.  2007.

Lots of thoughts on goals or not for 2010, highlights from 2009, but no time to post them right now.

Monday 122809

In Fairplay.  6 miles easy.  I am always not so gently reminded about running at 10500 feet when I run here. 

Sunday 122709

Up early, before we headed to the high country and got on the mill.  Had intentions of a solid workout in the middle of a 12-14 miler, but was not up for pushing the gas much.  So changed what I thought I would do through the warmup – about six times, and finally landed minute on, minute off – but the whole thing turned into some sort of steady state fartlek what the heck is this run.  Which is fine.  Cut it short to ten miles.  No sweat.

73 miles on the week.  December is 271 miles.   3636 miles on the year,  31812 minutes.  Not a bad week, not a great one –  but okay for December.  Actually it was a bit more than I thought I would get with the holiday in the middle.  Will probably be low for the rest of the year with some skiing, and time in the mountains, and then look to get a good build up month in January.  January is typically a good month for me (09 – 328 miles, 08 – 347 miles – so more than 10 a day typically) as I am coming into the New Year motivated and with renewed focus.  While I would like to get good mileage in prep for spring / summer racing (getting hay in the barn), I need to be sure to be careful not to OVERDO it – as both in 08 and 09 I encountered injury in the spring (08, sports hernia; 09 – left Achilles).  I intend to review the 09 and 08 logs from January through April here in the next week to see patterns, mistakes, etc.

Saturday 122609

Wow.  Ate WAY too much yesterday.  But I checked the scale (pre run) and there was no difference in my weight (well, it was actually maybe a bit low).  RHR this AM was 39.  Weird.

On the mill.  Per the suggestion of KZ, I watched Mamma Mia. 11 miles easy, easy, easy.  Considered a few times picking it up (particularly when Pierce Bronson attempted to sing), but felt off enough that I figured it could wait a day.  AHR = 143.  Would have gone further, but ran out of time.  :)

Tomorrow we are off to the high altitude locale of Fairplay. 

Friday 122509

Late afternoon – 5 very easy miles in the snow.  AHR =139. 

Thursday 122409

Merry Christmas Eve.  And oh yeah, good news is that the days are getting longer. 

There were tentative plans for a some folks to get together in Boulder this AM and run up the back side of Flagstaff.  I decided against it – in order to remain close to home and with the family.  The single digit degree temps helped in the decision.  And finally, I could feel the need to get a good effort – so it was off to the garage and the mill.  After 2 mile warm up (just under 9, and then about 8:30 – and it takes about 10 minutes for the HR to settle in), I did a transition mile (7:01), and then locked into 6:30s as a tempo run (6:28, 6:30, 6:30, 6:28, 6:21).  Quick bio break and then back at it for some strides to finish it off.  11 miles.

This run puts me at over 3600 miles for the year – which is certainly my most ever.  To get the arbitrary target of 3650, I need 40 more miles over the next 7 days.  Ought to be do-able, but we the holidays and potentially trips to the mountains – whatever!  The whole thing is arbitrary because what I call a run others may not.  I call a 2 mile jog at 9 minute pace a run.  Others won’t unless it is at least five miles at 8 minute pace.  Some have more than 3000 miles, but with it being with way more vertical.  Some see treadmills as easier running, others see it as harder.  Whatever.  It is all good – whatever your journey may be.  For me, this little number has served as a nice way to keep somewhat focused and consistent as I transition to my next goals and objectives.

Wednesday 122309

KZ asked me if I could take her and some friends of hers over to the rec center, so they “could run.”  Umm, you want to run?  Hell ya, I am in.  Of course, they did not want to run with me.   Why in the name of Pikes Peak would I ever imagine 11-12 year old girl-women-creatures would want to run with a hairy old guy like me on an 11 laps to the mile indoor track?  Mind you, they were cordial – they let me run with them for 2 laps, but then after that they gave me verbal and non verbal queues to move on, or better yet, go to the treadmill.  I thought I’d forego the mill and run the indoor track just for something different, but I kept losing count of how many damn laps I had done.  Was that 8?  Or 7?  Crap.  I better be safe and call it 6.  Whoa.  Watch out for the woman skipping in this lane while pushing a triple wide stroller.  And the guy doing the butterfly stroke while walking in  lane 2.  After two miles of that, I retired to the mill and ran easy.  11 miles.  I had to try the program on the mill actually called Pikes Peak.  After a build up, iIt got to a whopping 5% grade and held it for a minute before bringing me back down.  Okay, it is a hill workout, but do you have to call it Pikes Peak?  Can’t you call it some hill on the beach in Rhode Island?

Tuesday 122209

AM – easy jogging with the dogs.  7.5 miles.  AHR =139.  Don’t feel any adverse effects from yesterday.  The workouts I am doing right now are not real gut busters, but I think are better preparing me to be able to do that in the spring of next year.  The workouts are challenging, and are hard, but not over the top or killer where I am reeling for days afterwards.  I can feel their benefit.

PM – easy, into the sunset.  6.5 miles on Lac Amora trail.

 

An age grading calculator went up over at Younger Legs for Older Runners.  Little rant here:  age grading performances for award recognition is total BS.  If you want to do it for some hypothetical consideration – fine.  Don’t give awards, or even list formal results based on it.   In Lexington, I was dumbfounded by seeing guys who ran slower get put on the same podium as guys who ran faster – but ahead of them.  Uh, of course the older guy at 60 ran slower than Simon.  That guy kicked ass in the 60 age group.  He did NOT beat Simon.  Stating that he did beat Simon based on some crazy table is voodoo at best. 

Don’t get me wrong – I am all in favor of recognizing age group competition, but to say a 72 year old ran better than a 42 year based on some weird conversion charts is a crap.  Yeah, I know – easy for me to say when I am forty and the test will be to see if I say it when I am 65.  I believe I will.

Monday 122109

11 miles.  3 mile warm up (8:15 pace), felt good and so floated the pace up for a 5k tempo on Lac Amora / Lake Link trail.  Windy but warmer.  Recovered a mile and then did 10x30sec hill repeats (recoveries back down the hill were about a minute).  Warmed down for about 2 miles.

Sunday 122009

10 miles, easy.  Today’s run was a toss up, meaning that I was not sure what it would be going into it.  2 miles in and I knew to cruise this one easy.  So I did.  AHR = 140. 

December is 198 miles.   3563 miles on the year,  31211 minutes.

LetsRun interview with their coach, John Kellog.  Interesting stuff.  Kellog’s claim to fame is probably taking LetsRun co-founder Weldon Johnson from a collegiate 30:13 runner (so one of those guys who is crazy good but that you would never hear of) to a 28:08 guy who finished fourth in two Olympic Trials. 

 

So, no revelation here but a theme to this training diary – blog thing is finding a training path that fits my life style and maximizes results.  By “fits my life style” I mean is a training I can enjoy while being a father, husband and guy who works in corporate America (for now).   By maximizing results, it is getting the most bang for the training buck – meaning I am either improving or not slowing with age (which is inevitable). 

Over time a few folks have said in blog comments, or emails, or to my face something along the lines of, “you are thinking about this training thing too much,” or “just do what you enjoy,” or “do training that you believe in” or “just do something consistently – you are all over the map”  or “you are not thinking the right way about your training.”

And they are right.  My training has been a bit all over the map.  Stints of running mountains, segments of capping HR, etc.  So while I have been consistently exercising, I have not been consistent in my training – as to how I approach it. 

So the comments made and the input by fellow runners, this podcast, the one I heard recently with Nate Jenkins, and some time off of work have let a crack of light in my head, … again.  Since I am slow to learn, it might require another two years or longer of thrashing about to figure things out, but maybe this slight “ah ha” moment might stick.  So these are some things for me as if I were to speak to myself as my own coach…  they are not brilliant, but you need to consider the audience (me).    And so, some folks might read the list below and roll their eyes in disgust that I review this stuff that is so non-descript, or is just mulling it over and over again.  No matter, I need that.  So, in no particular order… (maybe these are New Year’s revelations?) (growing list – apt to be updated as I think of stuff) 

1.)  Train consistently (moderately high mileage)
2.)  Train easy when you need to.  This is as slow as you want to be.  Rarely for you at this time is this a pace slower than 9 minutes.  For what it is worth, averaging 9 minutes a mile would win Leadville.

3.)  In an easy run, if you can float after “good” speed and be comfortable, and not compromise your hard workouts, that is okay.  This is a possible danger area, because you can make your easy a little too hard and hence your hard later a little too easy, but if you listen you your body – it can work.  In fact, I am becoming more convinced that these sort of easy runs at intermediate pace are a good thing for you.
4.)  A treadmill is a good tool, but it means little to what you can actually do outdoors.

5.) 

Training with other folks is a good – in fact great.  Some of your best workouts and hence race prep came off of this, but your life style now does not lend to it.  Embrace training with other when you can, but make the most of what you can flying solo.
6.)  You can do a lot more with your diet than you are currently.
7.)  Race as much as your life style will let you … races are a good reminder of what you are, what you need to do, where you are strong, where you are weak, what you love about this … and hence you leave races more motivated after them then before them.
8.)  Focus for key events, but not overly so.  Picking certain races and getting all super amped and for them has more often than not had negative consequences than positive ones.  In other words, you end up trying TOO hard, and botching it.  This is sort of like really wanting to go out with someone (when you did that) … it worked out better when you appeared to not care as much.
9.)  Track works.  You know the workouts.

10.)  Hills work.  You know the workouts.
11.)  You do okay on hills up to 10-12 percent.  After that, for whatever reason, you slow down disproportionate to your fitness.
12.)  You are not a great heat runner, so if you have to race in that, accommodate appropriately.
13.)  Negative split.  All your best performances have come this way.  Maybe one or two times that was not true but it hurt a helluva lot more to do it that way.
14.)  Out and back runs that build are your best result tempos.
15.)  There is not a single road to Rome, but all roads there require work.  And probably a lot more work than you want to do.  Realize that others might have a road that works for them but not for you.  You could learn from that path, but it is not necessary to fully adopt it, or be critical of it.  If they believe it will work for them, chances are it will be more successful than one that they don’t believe in.  A lot of the training debate out there is folks looking for the silver bullet that will work for them.  That could mean more miles, more intensity, more rest, more cross training, more effective diet, etc.  But they have to believe in it first.
16.)  Enjoy it.  Realize that this is all possible because you have many gifts:  physically, in terms of family support, and some plain stupid luck.
17.)  Specificity is important to some degree, but not overly so.  In other words, when training for a mountain race like Pikes, getting on Pikes is not easy for you.  So training up Green is not bad, but doing that every day is not best for you (partly because it is not specific).  You need to do other stuff to mix it up, and keep in touch with other systems. 
18.)  If you are using a data device like a HR monitor in a race, listen to it.  Refer to PPM 2009 if you need a reference on this.
19.)  Altitude:  historically, you have seemed to do okay or better than some as you have moved up in altitude (catching folks above tree line, or beating guys who would beat you at lower elevations … but this might also be a result of them going out too fast).  But on the flip, you never seemed to have translated to faster times at sea level. 

20.)  You have some niggle injuries you need to take care of:  the groin and the left Achilles particularly.
21.)  Work on your 5k and 10k stuff.  That is where you strength is.  But do the work on other fronts to go back to Pikes and do what you know you can there.

22.)  When you get tired, you tend to roll your neck back and your shoulders up.  Keep them rolled forward and down.

23.)  Watch that flipping up of the gimp foot (left).  Try to keep getting it down, and turned over.

Saturday 121909

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers have released a free “album” of tunes – based on what folks asked for.  Go and download it.

JZ wanted to bike to the library.  Laced them up and headed out with him.  Difference between him and his sister is that he wanted to stop at the “dirt pits” on the way (locals in Broomfield know the spot).  He made one pass through before being eaten up by the dirt pits – as they are currently mud pits.  I call Colorado mud in this area, “meconium mud” because it is as sticky as that stuff that you get to know shortly after childbirth.  Even after the trip home, and spraying it down with a hose, there is a good deal of mud that still needed to be cleaned off.  3 miles on this curtailed trip.

On the way out, before the mud

“Umm, Dad?”
 

Time to start the clean up

 

PM – on the mill.  Started at 15% for a mile, 12.5% for a mile and then 10% for a mile.  AHR = 142, max = 150.  Kept the pace super mellow, even on the climbs.  Did the hill stuff just to mix it up.  9 miles.  Took me to 86 minutes to get back to an average of 10 minute pace after the first three miles.

Good post on really fast finishers at Mount Washington.

Team Inov8 posts their roster, including all around good guy and frequent NE racer, JJ

Good AC post on easy days easy, hard days hard …

Podcast re: Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald with the LetsRun guys.  I hear a lot of guys quietly mention this topic (if I could lose xx pounds, I think I’d … ).  It is a bit of a taboo topic because most of these guys are already pretty light, at least by US standards … and there is a fear that if they drop a lot of weight they are getting into the eating disorder thing.  Certainly as the parent of children, where body image is thrust upon kids in very unhealthy ways, I am sensitive to the concerns about eating disorders, but … my thinking is that more often than not, we athletes probably have a eating disorders the in another way – we train a lot and so we think we can eat whatever we want (more times than not).   But we know to some healthy end – lighter is better for endurance sports.  I certainly know if I had to drag five pounds less of my ass up Pikes or Mount Washington, that makes the trip much easier. 

We did not get shirts at USATF XC.  We got pint glasses.  Nice to get something different.

Friday 121809

Could tell from the first step it would be a good run.  My legs were not super sharp, but it didn’t really matter – I felt good at the core.   I started at 7:30, slowing down and over the Lac Amora trail (slightly rolling) – and enjoying myself.  A thought bubbled up that all the thinking I have been doing about training is really unnecessary.  Just run and it will come.  There are no silver bullets … The pace quickened slightly and I went at tempo-ish pace for about seven, with the first four being steady “keep it relaxed but moving Zack” and the last three being “okay let’s get some lactic acid going here.”  Relaxed for a half mile and then did 10 x 1 minute on and off, just to work when the legs were already a touch tired.  Swung by the house and picked up Lucy for a warm down.  12 miles.

Forgot to mention last night some of the other conversation with KZ and me on the run / bike to the library.  We discussed the Twilight series.  KZ hates it (she has read the first book), mostly because she thinks the Bella character is such a wimp and is always fawning over the Edward character.  And it further drives her nuts that so many of her peers in school think this is a great story in light of that.  My contribution to the conversation is that this Edward vampire dude is over a hundred years old and is hanging out with a 17 year old chick.  Just wrong if you ask me. 

I have been asked by a few folks what I intend to do over this holiday break.  This week, since the kids are in school, I have been picking at a variety of things in the house with TZ.  We sanded down two end tables, and re-finished them.  We also picked up a table for 60 bucks that was totally worked over on the top (cig burns).  Sanded that down with the orbital and refinished that and it looks great.  TZ thinks it would have cost close to a grand if we had purchased it new.  Hung some shelves in the garage, fixed the dishwasher handle (which included a solder job – something I used to do for a living but have not had to do since 1991).  However, as I get through tasks I put on the list, I think of a bunch of other stuff I want / need to do and the list gets longer!

Meb and Ryan have committed to Boston.  Good stuff for US distance running.  I will pick Hall in this go –around.  But by a nose over this guy.

Apparently milk is a better hydration beverage than water.  Whatever.  I know a lot of folks subscribe to it after a workout, but I ain’t downing it in the middle of a half marathon.  Recovery drink maybe, but I can’t see it being an effective hydration drink for me in the Camelbak on a hot summer day.  But whatever works for you …

Post of the day … fiddling why Rome burns.  Close second is BF’s Tony loving video.

Thursday 121709

Felt yesterday a touch (just some stiffness, but also a bit tired today) and so backed off quite a bit.  AHR = 140, max 150.  8 miles.

Good interview with Nate Jenkins re: switching up training approaches.

PM – KZ wanted to go to the library, so she biked and jogged next to her.  My HR was pretty low throughout until she challenged me to push her up a significant hill on the way home (with a backpack full of books).  Picked up some Coltrane, White Stripes, Five for Fighting, Foo Fighters and Fall Out Boy.  It seems to me that libraries definitely carry certain artists.  Broomfield Library seems to have every thing ever put out by U2 and They Might Be Giants and Bare Naked Ladies, but nothing by Led Zeppelin.  WTF?  Maybe it is always checked out?

 

On the way back KZ asked me “why do people say, ‘and then everything went downhill?’  - It ought to be everything then went uphill because that is obviously much harder.”

4+ miles.  AHR = 137.  Max = 185.

Wednesday 121609

Easy warmup, 2 miles (16 minutes), then 10 x 30 seconds on a hill near my home (this brought me to about four miles).  These were done pretty hard.  Jogged back to the house for a bio break and then did 20 minutes plus of tempo (slightly less than hour pace, but some difficulty given I had worked up a bit with the hill strides).  Warmed down for just over four miles.  12 miles on the day.

Good review of new to 2010 hundred milers (and in one case, up to a 500 miler).

 

A neat mountain running calendar … but it was made by folks in Slovenia.  So I can’t read it.

Tuesday 121509

12 miles.  First couple were jogging with the dogs.  Then got out and clicked into 7:30-7:40 pace, feeling good.

An interesting post from Jay Johnson.  You need to click through the slides, but you get the intent of his message.  It takes a bit to get through the slides, but it is very worthwhile reading on lactate, speed work, aerobic development.

More brain training stuff from Fitzgerald.

A posting of the top ten moments in US Distance Running for 2009.

An interesting prayer of sorts …

Dear Nature,

Thank you. I thank you for the ability to run great distances and the challenge I face as I put one foot in front of the other. You grant me breath and also grant me speed. Endurance is the gift you have given to me, and I ask that you grant me the will, fortitude, and safety that will enable me to reach new lengths, speeds, and goals. Thank you for the money to buy shoes. Thank you for the running community that has encouraged me along the trail.

When my heart pounds, ease it. When my legs tremble, quell them. My legs should only tremble in your presence, and may the distances I run bring me closer the purpose for which I was brought into the world. Grant me decisiveness - to surge or not to surge. Make my steps light and my traction sure. May I slay the demons of my past and may I outlast my doubt. While the depth of my ability is unknown, may I find unquestionable strength from the surrounding beauty you provide. Help me harness your grace, true in its form, and your fury, and allow it to lead me steadfastly to the finish. Daily, I wrestle against my own flesh, and time and again I hang my head in defeat only to rise the following day to accept the challenge once more. May I stir the wind with speed, and may I shake the ground with force. Make my trail long and winding, but make the path clear.

Amen.

--Jeremy Zuber

Post of the …

I was going to call this the post of the day, but that almost trivializes it.  It is much bigger than that.

Monday 121409

AM -  6 easy miles before the sun was up.  A little soreness … which I guess is good.  Worked out some kinks.  Did not run yesterday, as the day was travel.  Got home – walked with the family for a little over a mile, made burritos for dinner and then went to bed.

Most of the snow melted while I was away.  However, the gutters through the neighborhoods have been full with ice.  Tracy described the ice flow in front of our house as a glacier.  Apparently, JZ found in the glacier flow yesterday a laptop.  It was completely embedded in the ice yesterday but I was able to extract it easily today.



PM  - six on the mill. 

Sunday 121309

55 miles on the week  (as of now – travelling today so I may not get any miles or I might get some tonight – which would not be bad – shake out any post flight stiffness) over 435 minutes.  December is 116 miles.   3481 miles on the year,  30523 minutes.  It is the 347th day of the year so there are 18 days left in the year.  To average 10 a day for the year, I would need to get 169 miles, or ~9.4 a day. 

No significant soreness from yesterday, but I do have the post race sneezes and a good nose drip going.

A few disjointed insights from this weekend … (various rants … gets long, and it is all over the place, but this is my running log … I am definitely not the strong writer like some … you have been warned):

Inevitably, I was asked what is next.  I think I am going to keep cracking at this 5k and 10k thing – just to see if I can “move the meter.”   If I had to characterize how my training, fitness has progressed over the last few years it would come down to this.  I have slowed down on at all levels. My fastest days at Pikes were my first cracks at that hill.  Taking a focus on the mountains for a while seems to have contributed to my slower running.  At the same time however, I have a greater ability now to manage more volume than I did say four years ago.  A lot of my running has become “comfortable.”  I realize that easy days are supposed to be easy, but I have to also recognize that when I was running more frequently at a level where I was maybe a little less comfortable, I was also performing better.  

When I was warming down post the Colder Boulder last week, I was running really slow.  Like 9 minute pace (yes, I know that is not slow for some, but it is pretty slow for me).  It felt comfortable.  I ran into Ryan P and he was running at 7 minute pace.  So I ran with him for a bit.  It was not hard.  It was not even medium.  But it was a little bit beyond comfortable.  I recalled that when I was immersing myself into running here in Boulder in the late 90s, most  of my runs were like this.  Improvement came.

Okay, I know this can drive some controversy – on the quality versus quantity thing, on rest versus fatigue, on absorbing training, etc.  I am not talking big changes here.  I see that for the next four or five months getting after some 5ks and 10ks.  To do that, I think I need to move some of my runs from being comfortable to something a little tougher.  Because in some part, I feel like I have gotten a little soft.  Nearly everyone I talk to seems to think I have plenty of base and that I am not doing enough work at a faster pace. 

In any case, it gives me some sort of goal to chase to see if I can “move the meter.”   I’d like to think it would move some, give me some fun in focus for a while, and then as spring progresses, I can add a long run in (increasing it).  I still need to determine if I will do Pikes – and if that is the Ascent or the Marathon, head off to some ultra space – like Leadville, or do something entirely different like racing burros. 

Another thing I ended up discussing with the guys was this sort of mystery of how folks ebb and flow with training.   In short, there is a part I just don’t get.  And this not just true at the Masters level – it is true everywhere.  I mean – look for example at the top three guys in the sport right now:  Webb, Hall and Ritz.  Even if you take out injury, these guys have had disappointing performances and in fact, disappointing years.  Is that just because they trained harder one year?  Or smarter?  And if they were smarter one year, then why are they not always that much smarter the next year?

All the ebb and flow conversation, all the has my training gotten a little soft conversation, chasing the 5k … I am wondering where the hell 2 minutes went on my 10k, and a minute on my 5k.  People say, “ah you are older” which of course is true, but … damn, it comes off the skids that fast? 

Another thing I have been kicking around but have been a bit hesitant to blog about is diet.  I don’t worry too much about my weight, but I am considering experimenting in this area.  Specifically, I am wondering if I ought to be racing at not just say 3-4 pounds less but say 7-10 pounds less.  I don’t take any specific care in NOT eating.  When I am hungry, I eat.  I eat when I am not hungry too, and I often eat seconds, and even thirds.  So I think I could lose that weight, but I am not sure it will ensure success.  At minimum it is a test of discipline for me to see if I am truly willing to do it – and I am not that I am for a variety of reasons.  I am 140-143 at 5’8” now, and typically get to 138-139 in the summer.  So … 134?

 

A few days ago, I took a half crack at JM for his suggestion that some other team ought to grab up current Fleet Feet Boulder team member Tommy Manning.  I ended up discussing this with some of the guys out here during dinners and warm downs.  I have come to conclude that r

eally, nobody on the Fleet Feet team is deserving of any sort of sponsorship of any sort because of our running ability (the open race pretty much convinced me of this).  None of us are that good.  (okay, Simon might be, but even his performance yesterday would have landed him 100+ in the open race).  Fleet Feet provides some support for us as team members (jersey, discounted running gear) in return for us being ambassadors to running, a healthy life style, and the store.  The store owners, Kathy and Jay are stoked if we run fast, but if we don’t (and most of us don’t), they are not concerned about that.  The market they are trying to penetrate is the local average person – and having a team that performs well in national meets does not necessarily mean they penetrate that market more.  In fact, it might hurt it as it could be considered “elite” by some potential shoppers and scare people off.

But …  this sets up for a bit of dissonance.  To some extent, we are a little fast.  Well, a little fast when compared to 99 percent of the people we interact with outside of running circles.   Every runner I know has the story where some co-worker, friend, relative thinks you are on the verge of going to the Olympics -  when we all know we are not even close.  My most recent episode was someone asking something along the lines of how close I was to Alan Culpepper.  My answer went something like this:  “Alan?  Let’s see.  Let’s say I run a mile in 4:55.  (this usually elicits a response of how fast that is).  Okay, got that?  Good.  Alan runs 26 of those in a row without resting.  So Alan is at least 26 times a better athlete than me.”  But I think because we want to be good, because we hear that we are fast, and because we want to get to that “next level” we also think the team we are on ought up the ante across the board.  So it sets up for a bit of dissonance.   

All this actually leads me to coming to agree with Justin and take back my jab at him for suggesting Tommy ought to go to BRC.  The Fleet Feet team is a good team for the lower level hacks that want to run, be ambassadors to the sport, still compete, etc.  But for a guy like Tommy or Pete Remien who are dancing at that next level – heck, let them go compete for BX or Boulder Running Company.  I think we’d like to think we could be a better team, but we don’t have the draw or the foundation to be a more competitive team – and that is more for the BRC squad.  So when a guy is ready to move past this FF team, more power to them – do it. 

But that said, even those guys may not deserve a spot on those next level squads.  Tommy and Pete ran 32-33 10ks yesterday and were not even the top 100.  That is mind boggling – but also very humbling.  Think you are hot stuff?  Go jump in club XC nats and see where you land … I bet most of us never hear of the top ten guys ever again …

Which leads me to … mountain running.  What if half of the guys who broke 31 yesterday took up mountain running (and assume half of those guys would be decent at hill running)?  Think we’d have a better squad than we have today for the USMTR?  I bet we would.  The thing is those guys don’t want to worry about running silly events like Pikes or being a member of the USMRT.  Nope – they want to break 30.  That is what is important to them.  I am not saying 29:30 guy is going to be a star in mountain running, because the sport does not suite some.  But if more guys from that layer pursued the sport, we’d have a better team than we have now – because we have dudes who are 32 minute 10k runners on the team.   And hey – nothing against those guys on the team … they showed up and got the spots.   There does seem to be a shift with guys like Parr and Gray moving to mountain running.  And with the supposed introduction of a bit more money into races, etc, it might actually up the quality of the squad more.  We’ll see.  I think we’ll see a slow draw over …

Okay, but back to clubs … without the results in front of me, I think we would have needed six minutes to get on the podium.  We were kicking around last night that to do that, we probably would needed Pliska, a healthy Hegelbach, and maybe Geldean.   All of these guys are dealing with some sort of injury or comeback.  We started kicking around the concept of what would happen if we had combined some of these teams.  I think there were at least five men’s masters clubs in competition … Fleet Feet, Foot of the Rockies, Boulder Road Runners, Running Republic of Boulder.  “Boulder” teams are already farming guys from all over the state – what if we combined forces and came up with a Team Colorado?  Then on the 40 squad you’d have a bit of depth there too … (DeRueck). 

As a side note, there seems to be interest in putting together a masters team for Mount Washington.

Had a conversation with Rich on the way home.  We were talking about how the sport deals us more race days where things don’t go as well as we like.  Which is a nice way to say, more days than not, you feel like ass when you are out there racing.  There are the days however where you feel light and strong.  You are still in the hurt locker, but you have it put in a box that you manage, and you can drive.  You suddenly can fly again, and you remember, this is why I do this.  You exceed your expectations, and wonder, where did that come from?   And that is a very powerful drug.  You want that in all of your races … and so you keep coming back looking for that again and again.

The trip home was its own test in patience for me.  The plane filled so I had to check my bag.  I specifically don’t check bags whenever I can – because I don’t want to have to wait for my luggage.  Since the flight was full – I did not have a choice.  By the time I boarded, all wheel bags were getting checked.  I then made my way back to my seat while it was an aisle seat, the guy in the middle was very overweight and already had made his way into about a third of my seat.  And the guy in front had tipped his chair back and hung his huge jacket over the back of the seat.  Part of me was ready to engage and look deal with this head on, but I felt this was a test in patience for me.   So I sat down and shut up.  I figured it was 2 hours and 45 minutes and heck, I could get up and walk to the rest room if I wanted.  Better than being a POW.  I could survive this without cracking.  The test was amped as the guy fell asleep and began to lean on me – so I did get up and go to the can.  

Saturday 121209 – USATF Club XC Nationals

10k, 37:33.  We were seventh as a team.

 

Hard to say how I feel about this race:  it was definitely not a great race, but it was not bad one either.  Coming in, I thought I’d be pretty near six minutes a mile and this turned out to be about that (6:02).  I think I raced where my fitness is right now.  Sure, I’d like to be more fit and faster, but I am here.

Our front three did pretty well (Simon 2nd,  James 17th and Andy 23rd), but they did not get a lot of love from Rich 73rd, Marc 79th or me - 85th (particularly from me since as the sixth guy I did not score … and I think my actual placing was more like 127th just in my age group).  On the flip side, for us to have made it to the podium, that tail gang would have all had to have been about 2 minutes faster. 

Results at:  http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USATFClubXCChampionships/results/mastersM.asp

The open race was sick.  I counted four guys going under 30, 36 guys under 31 and 94 guys under 32.  I stopped counting the results tell me 224 guys went under 34.  NONE of these guys are folks you have ever heard of unless you personally know them or are insanely deep into the sport.  That’s right – no Ryan Halls or Ritz’s in this race.  Or another way of looking at it is that winner of the men’s masters race would have finished 102nd place in the open.

 

More later in regards to this race, insight on some great conversations with the guys, what’s next, etc

 

Kudos to Brett for setting a 22 minute PR in the marathon!

A sophomore wins Footlocker … by 15 seconds.  Dang.