Saturday 061111

PM - 8 miles, with a dozen "strides" in there (200m at 5:20 to 5:25 pace-ish). Legs were a bit heavy, so did this to blow it out a bit.

Evening - 3 miles with TZ and Bart. Felt real heavy, but that was probably the post dinner thing.

Friday 061011

JZ went to the Rox game tonight. Going into the 9th, the Rox were up 6-0. Final score, 6-5. Sheesh. And as I was watching on game cast, I wondered about this:

Long night last night, and well ... the night before too ... without good results. When the opportunity popped up, I took much needed advantage to head to the hills to clear my head. I intended to hook up JV, who I have not seen in so long that I don't recall the last time I saw him. His schedule slipped a bit so I started running around. Next thing I knew I was nearly up past the 2nd Flatiron and recalling how much I loved and hated that route.

Summited Green and headed down the backside. Knew Jeff and some AR holder were heading up but I did not want to get too far down for some silly reason, and so I started doing the Elliott stairs to kill time.

For those that don't recall, this is a fifth of a mile stretch on the back side of Green that is just a lot of big step ups. Scott E who won Pikes more times than I have run it, would do this workout to prep for the 16 Golden Stairs at the top. He'd do this 8 times, which is ... well fairly insane. I mean you are about stick a fork in me done with this section after doing it ONCE. 8 is about worthy of being committed. JV and I did this workout a few years back, and we ripped off six. I remember that coming down I wanted to walk because my legs felt like they had been sawed in half.

I think JV did that first one in 2:20 that day, but that is a different story.

Anyway, I did a few of these (with numbers in the 3s mind you) while waiting. I considered maybe I'd be back for more of this sometime this summer with fresher legs. While leaning on the four way summit post in recovery after one, I heard familiar voices in the distance. Thankful for the respite, I joined the guys.

Enjoyed good conversation and a weather day that we beg for ...

Vertical week continues, but is probably done now that the weekend is here. 13k over the last five days. Feeling good, but feeling it in a good way. 13 on the day.

Thursday 060911

AM - 13 miles, 2700 feet of gain.  Mesa Trail, very wet.  Very very easy.

Pix from the 5 miler in NE.  First, getting smoked by fellow gray hair Kraig Vanderbeek.

 

And a shot from Dirty 30.

The video of this guy finishing Comrades is pretty epic.  I love the part where the guy, not facing the finishers, shots the gun.

Wednesday 060811

Good Scout meeting last night. Kids did bike maintenance, including changing the flat back tire on the back of my bike. We went for a ride afterwards and got some ice cream.

I have a problem watering the lawn these days. Namely that this bugger believes all sprinklers must die.

Of course, those buggers start like this.

AM - 6 miles.

A new mountain road race … this one up Pikes. Can’t say that I am interested in it, given the fact it comes one week post the PPM.

PM - 7 miles, South Boulder Peak. 49:15 to the Saddle, 56:15 to summit, RT in 88:38. Felt good. Still got some ascending work to do. I did a bit of checking and I think my fastest summit is 49 minutes and my fastest RT is 82. Both of those are from three years ago though.

This account was recently posted on a local trail running list.

Just off the Peak to Peak Highway, as you turn toward Rainbow Lakes, about a quarter mile there's a forest road that peels off to the left, south, down toward Como Creek, deadheading at a gate beyond which there is no vehicle traffic. When my wife and I hiked past this gate at 7:30 on Sunday morning, there were two vehicles parked there. I was exploring the site of one of the mining camps for the Switzerland Trail Railroad.

As my wife and I returned to the gate heading back to my truck, we saw activity suggesting folks were breaking camp, reloading their vehicles. A small black lab came to greet us, tail wagging, ruff-ruff-ruffing, stopping about five yards away. I was bending down to talk quietly to him until the owners appeared, and at that moment the pit bull came roaring over the slight ridge, directly at me, full speed. I assumed it would stop and do some ruff-ruff, but knew quickly that was not to be. At a distance of about four feet from me, he leaped at my throat, knocking me back and down.

Since losing my dog to a big cat last year, I've made it a practice to carry a knife with me when I venture alone into the forests. I doubt I'd be very effective against a big cat, but it's always been reassuring to my wife that at least I'd put up a fight.

If you carry a weapon you'd better be prepared to use it, and I was able to get it out of its sheath on my way down. Yes, it was a bloody battle, me laying on the ground, flailing wildly with the knife at the neck and head of the dog as it did its best to tear my femoral artery from my groin. A deep stab produced enough yelp from him that, along with the force of my blow, released his bite and drove him back. He'd already tried two times to get chunks of me, one at the neck, one at the rib cage, and my thrashing about successfully fended those off. After being driven from my groin, he came back two more times, once for my genitals, as if I weren't already full enough of adrenalin. Battled back there with knife slashes and kicking, he moved around to my left, where he grabbed me at the lower leg. Jaws wrapped around a large section of my calf, he was pulling me, jerking me, uphill, I was reaching to stab again when the owner showed up to pull him off. That was a battle between the two of them. The dog was bleeding profusely from the stab wound to the left shoulder. I was fired up enough I wanted to continue the battle, to finish the beast off.

I had no question whatsoever that this animal had one purpose, and one purpose only--to kill this intruder. Had I not had the good fortune to strike him deeply enough with the knife to get him to yelp, he was moments away from accomplishing that kill with the severing of my femoral artery. A gun would have been worthless at best under these conditions, and with my wife standing next to me I'd have hesitated to shoot for fear of hitting her. That moment's hesitation would have been fatal.

The owner was mortified and deeply apologetic. "He's never done anything like this before," though it was noteworthy that the dog was wearing a shock collar. "The batteries died a while ago." The folks were extremely supportive, helped bandage me up, freely exchanged information, and drove us back to my truck. I went immediately to the Emergency Room at Boulder Community Hospital, Broadway.

Under legal requirement to do so, ER personnel notified Boulder County Animal Control, who came within 30 minutes, interviewed me and did a thorough photo documentation. That afternoon as we returned home the telephone rang, the owner of the dog calling to check on my condition and to let me know he'd managed to get the dog to the vet in time to get him stapled back together.

He graciously offered to cover all my medical copays, continued his apologies, and in general could not have been more cordial or accepted responsibility in more openly.

Shortly after that the Animal Control Officer called to inform me that a citation had been issued under the provisions of the state, rather than the county, law, and that the dog was in quarantine though the owners had documentation of all vaccinations.

The arraignment for these charges is in late July. State law allows for but does not require euthanasia, so it is up to a judge's final decision. I am determined to prevent this dog from ever injuring another human being. I've retained the services of good counsel.

Tuesday 060711

AM - 6 miles.

Mid day - 7 miles.

Coming into aid station 2 on Saturday, I knew Footfeathers and Mtnrunner2 would be there. I shouted one of my favorite movie quotes, but apparently its context was lost. "Did you see the size of that chicken?" Of course they didn't get it. I was in the spirit world and those SOB's couldn't see me anyway.

Monday 060611

AM - 6 miles. Legs were sluggish to start but that seemed to roll off a bit once I was out there for a few minutes.

Lize posts today a bit about ultra girllz.

Results are up from Golden Gate.

PM - 7 miles, South Boulder Peak via Shadow. Not zippy for sure (saddle in 51, summit in 58:30, RT in 96 ... slower on the bottom half of the down because someone alerted me that a rattlesnake was ahead - never saw it), but I wanted to start banging some vertical this week. Legs were clearly still holding some fatigue from Saturday, but that was part of the purpose.

Sunday 060511

Mid day – 4 miles. Super easy. This was just a jog over to the Bay as the kids were over there swimming. 1651 miles on the year. Good week with 2 races, 9700 feet of vertical, 94 miles on the week. Of course a third of that came on Saturday (and nearly all the vertical). I am hoping to get after some vertical this next week. June is about 70 miles.

Is it possible that Canova is coming to CoS?

BEJ knocks it out of the park again.

On the listening list with Lize B, but have yet to get to it.

Post Dirty Thirty blah blah blah

Slept pretty good last night – not sure if that was because we ended the night with some of that sweet tea vodka stuff on the back porch or because of the run … or both.

Anyway, rather than give a detailed blow by blow of the race yesterday – it sort of comes down to this:  I jogged.  I walked.  I ran.  I passed people.  They passed me.  Repeat. 

Instead of the “then I saw a stick and decided to jump over it” type of report that is typical for me to pump out, I am just going to put out a few things that I ought to learn from.  I probably will need to write these down at least 10 other times, and then be sarcastically and appropriately ridiculed by those who care for me enough to make me actually learn from them … but we will start here.

1.)  Woke up and the PF was a bit angry but it subsided over the morning as I got moving.  I have loved the Brooks shoes for over a decade and I do think they make a great shoe product.  Unfortunately, I have worn out my welcome with them with my right foot since last October.  Regardless if I run in the Racer STs or the Cascadias, there is something about that last that is aggravating that plantar on the right foot.  And yup, not the left but that might be the benefit of it being so damn scarred up from being shoved in a lawn mower nearly 2 score years ago.

While PF seems totally debilitating to some, it is not crushing me yet.  In fact, I find when I run in other shoes, it is not as bad, or even heels some.   Or heals some.  So I just need to find a shoe that works.  The issue there is that what seems to work for the right foot usually causes issues with my left  - which is, as I noted, not a pretty foot – particularly since my heel sports a rather large protrusion (called a Haglund deformity).  So … I am in the market for a shoe that works for both. 

I do need to fix this because it is messing me up a bit for the longer events.  Over the course of the 30 yesterday, I was clearly doing some compensation, because there is some mild soreness on my right shin today.  I could also feel that this was impacting my ability to really run – particularly on the stretches where I could open it up on the downs.  Looking ahead, if I had to deal yesterday with this at a hypothetical Pikes race, I might ascend well, but I would be screwed on the down.  The PF simply keeps me from opening up the way I should.

2.)  I am not sure what to make of my stomach yet at ultras.  I have not had an serious stomach issues – in fact, at the risk of giving myself the “whammy” I have not had any in the longer races or runs I have done.  But that said, I have not gone really long or really hard for the distances I have done.  As my efforts are dialed back a bit, it does allow me some degree to eat. 

But I don’t seem to eat a lot.  I was talking to folks afterwards who took a dozen gels.  I had one gel and one of those mini Cliff bars.  Everything else was water or Heed.  I felt fine.  Before leaving the house for the run I had a yogurt and a banana with some PB. 

I did take maybe 10 S caps through the run, and I do think that is important.  I did not encounter any cramping as I have in the past, and I have to say this is probably because of getting on with the salts and Heed regularly yesterday.

3.)  I carried one water bottle.  Clearly this is WAY easier than a Camelback, and with aid stations every six miles, do-able.  Having 16-20 ounces on that distance was manageable.  If the aid stations were going to be a lot farther apart I’d probably have to go dual bottles or even consider the backpack.

I ran out of water at Windy Peak, and was ready to just deal with being a bit more than thirsty all the way to the finish (four miles?).  Got a nice little windfall though when there was a aid station at about 2.5 miles to go.

4.)  Ultras and how they hurt:  so there is this general thought that ultras hurt a lot and that you have to be stupid, insane to “be one of those guys.”  Funny thing is that if you bring up a mile or 800 meter race in this audience of ultra runners they look at you like you are giving them a injection to the roof of their mouth.  They see that as pain.

Reality is they both hurt … just in different ways.  One is a quick one night stand.  One is a long drawn out marriage relationship.  Wait, those don’t hurt … bad analogy.

5.)  I have wondered back and forth if training for ultra events is an impediment to training for a mountain race like Pikes.

The short answer for me is no. 

The longer answer is, well it depends.  It comes down to how you want to spending your training buck. 

Ideally, when training for a particular race you ought to do the training that best supports that event.  This is, of course, the specificity of training principle.  This is exactly why training for a mile or a 5k on the road or track is significantly different than a mountain marathon. 

But generally, consistency in training, of any sort, is going to prepare you anyway.  I mean if you run a lot, that is going to mean you can run a lot and you are going to get fitter to some end and then generally faster. 

You might not get the absolute perfect top end results off at a particular race, but consistency will prepare you for most things.

I think my training is relatively generalistic enough, and consistent enough – and that I have enough history over the last couple of years, that I am not far off from a decent 50, a fair 5k, or a mountain marathon.  Maybe even if I focused a bit a decent mile.

Is my 70-100 miles a week across 7-10 runs that is mostly around Broomfield with the occasional sprinkling of a mountain run here or there the best training for Pikes?  Absolutely not.  Does it work to some degree?  Absolutely.

I could even pull off a 100 I think but … I do think that, again, generally speaking, that if you expect to be competitive at that distance there is a specificity in the training that I only see a few guys doing.  Not coincidentally, those are guys who are at the top of the sport at that distance.  So in other words, I appreciate that it is everyone’s own trip and that sure – you can do a 100 off 50 miles a week, I am not one to endorse that as a strategy (anymore than I would endorse a strategy of a marathon off of 15 miles a week).

6.)  So given the above, I love the sport at all distances, but clearly community at the ultra distance is the best in running.  I think this stems from just a general respect that everyone has for the distance.  When you line up at a 5k, there is little thought about completing it.  You line up for an ultra and you are looking at faces like everyone is going to battle … together.  And so post run-race, there is a celebration of that outcome that is superior to anything I have seen at the 5k or 10k distance.  

7.)  No HR monitor this run, but did go with the GPS.  I also had the Ipod and zoned out to some Foo Fighters … twice I think?  First in the race from maybe a mile to the first aid station (6) and then again maybe from miles 15 to 20.  Not a bad thing.  Was not crazy dependent on it, but it was nice to have.

8.)  I am kicking around doing the Boulder 100 this fall and some folks in the ultra community that have plenty of “street cred” think I am nuts.  The conversation goes like this.

Me:  I am thinking of doing the Boulder 100 this fall.
Them:  **** that!  That would suck.  That would be like losing your virginity to some cheap nasty whore.  Go do Bear or Slickrock or something.  Do Leadville.
Me:  I can’t do Leadville.  I have a date with another girl that weekend.
Them:  Oh yeah.  Seriously Boulder 100?  Really.  That would so suck.  My first 100 was UTMB.  It was so awesome.

Now, I get what they are saying.  The mental game of the Boulder 100 – namely getting out for another 7 mile lap (umm, some 14 of them) would be rough I imagine – particularly after say lap 6. 

But, on balance, heading off somewhere for a weekend far away from my family … eh, well, logisitically challenging and those sort of get aways weigh on my brain.  At the Boulder 100, I could sleep in my own bed when I was done (and before I started), I could have my family come out and watch, and heck – I could even have my kids do a lap or two with me (bike for example).  There is something very enticing to that.

Yet to be decided though.

10.)  It was chilly – to the point of shivering at the start, but I was glad I went light.  Gloveless, tank singlet and my visor.  Longer shorts than usual to hold some gels (without pins).  Almost went shirtless.  It did get warm enough to justify that.  5 minutes into the race, I was fine but then again, I carry more of a built in sweater than most.

11.)  I did not really screw around in the aid stations as much as I did at CP50.  Got in and out pretty quick.

12.)  Other than the PF, and the little compensation soreness in the right shin – my legs feel great today.  Not sure if I will run, because there is a lot to do here today, but I easily could.

13.)  Moo gai pan is the best recovery food ever.  This week.  I think.  Pass the sesame chicken.

14.)  I dig marimba music as much as the next guy.  For the first three songs.

15.)  This course was probably the best marked trail course I have ever seen (not a deep pool for me there though) – so huge kudos to the race organizers on that.  There was only one stretch on Windy Peak where I went for a bit and did not see a pink ribbon.  I stopped, suddenly concerned that I had gone off course.  This was when Darcy rolled me up … but then I realized I was still on course.  But generally speaking, there were markings everywhere.

That said, apparently the folks who went off course, including Nick Clark did so when instructed by volunteers (or perhaps not guided by volunteers).  Total bummer for Nick because he was well on his way to crushing the course record and the win.  But – as he said – graciously – “that is part of the trail running game.”

16.)  Once I set the expectation to not “bleed from the eyes” or “make my teeth” sweat … well, you are in that gear.  I felt a little competitive itch as Darcy went by, and I knew I could go faster … but my die had been cast so to speak.  Yet another mental note … I did have a patch or two out there that was not stellar but no huge lows where I was in the hurt box.  But at the same time, I was not going to be flying at all …

17.)  So … state park, people competing in the woods, volunteers, aid stations, medical help, search and rescue on hand … all a sneeze away from Boulder County where this is simply unfathomable.

18.)  Apparently if you do Fern Canyon four times in a row it is officially known as fernication.

19.)  Good race t-shirt too.  Technical, Marmot shirt.  Ugly colors on the front but I am too old and too pretty to worry about being too fashionable.

20.) Sort of still figuring out if I do this ultra thing longer term.  It is a bigger commitment that I am not sure about.  In short, I sort of see a draw to just doing the training to support say a 5k or a 10k … and not have the draw back of ultras where I am off for long periods of time in training and in races.

More may come …

And so, yeah, for those who were worried about a race report being too short or not self indulgent enough … well, I am sure I still met expectations …

Saturday 060411 Dirty Thirty

More later but quickly for now ...

Great Pix from Woody.

...14th or 15th overall, 3rd master, 5:28 and change. Got what I came for which was a long harder run with some vertical (6940 is what I have measured), complete an ultra, not get lost and not get hurt. Kept it at a solid effort but being careful not to blow my brains out. PF is barking a bit as went with the Cascadia's (same shoes for both feet).

Beautiful course for sure, and I was impressed with how it was run. Joe Grant won the race overall in a new course record, and Nick Clark was second (although he was leading and apparently caught the disease I had earlier this month and got off course for a bit) - and also under five hours. Nick P was third in just a couple of handful of ticks over five hours.

On the ladies side, I got caught by Darcy near the top of Windy Peak (just over the marathon distance) and she put a handful of minutes on me to the finish. I think Heather C was second and Anita O was third. I am sure results will be up to confirm all this later.

First Master Man was Johannes, in 5:01. I am pretty sure if I went for it I'd not be dancing with that. Brian Fisher was second master's man.

Had a great time out there and enjoyed the post race festivities and excellent conversation with the typical great characters. Again more later, but the short of it is I ran 30 miles in the hills and that is fun. Particularly when there is little drama.

Friday 060311

AM 5 miles easy.

Way behind on podcasts these days.  Just been jamming to tunes instead when I listen to the IPod.  Caught up on one this AM with Ian Sharman.  Pretty decent.   There is stuff in the middle on heat dissipation that is pretty good.

The Pumpkin hit a milestone number of miles last night.

More pups:

Off to Dirty 30 tomorrow.  Took a peek at the results from past years and I expect to be out there for six plus or so hours.  Again, not looking to make this a “make the teeth” sweat effort.  I think I can only go to that well so many times in a year with longer events (and so, yes, I think you can go to that well more often with short events like 5ks).  It might not be as much an issue physically as much as it is in my head of getting laser focused, dialed in.  Still thinking it will be a two different shoe day.

I have loved this song since I heard it and the video is brilliant.

PM – 4.5 miles easy.

Thursday 060211

Slept awesome last night … probably because of the run with Lucho, and the fact that Tuesday night-Wednesday morning sleep was significantly disturbed with bringing these characters into the world. (psst – sporting a fairly cool Boys Town Memorial Day run shirt …I ain’t a big flag on the shirt sort of guy, but this one is pretty rad)

I probably ought not post that because these buggers are so small that they are still at point where survival is a significant issue. But, damn cute … I couldn’t resist.

AM – 6 miles.

Digging this pic of my team mates at Bolder Boulder. Lots of good shots of the croo over here.

I like this “power meter in the shoe” post.

I realize that I am pretty crappy at getting things back to folks. If you lend me something, it is not that I don’t want to get it back, it is just that I get an F at getting it back. I don’t want to keep it … I just need to get better at getting it back. I have at least two books I need to get back to Mock for example.

WS crystal ball …

PM - 7 miles. Windy as all heck and pretty warm. But still not as hot as Omaha.

Wednesday 060111

Danny MacAskill continues to amaze although I think his earlier videos are much badder ass than this.

Don’t get me wrong, what he does in this vid, is still insane – it is just that he set the bar so damn high in his prior releases, that this sort of comes across as .”yeah, I have seen that before.” Funny, how we become victims of our success. I have thought this about Carpenter too … folks don’t look at his victories at Pikes as amazing, but sort of expected. In fact, a win is almost sort of expected and he probably would get more attention if he lost a race. That is kind of screwed up.

Been thinking a bit about the Dirty Thirty this weekend. I am going to treat it as an aggressive training run to start, rather than a race. Simply, I can't wrap my mind around going at this thing all out given where I am at. That said, yeah, I will race when it comes down to it, but I just don't see myself bringing a killer mindset just yet. And I am not even sure what sort of shoes I am going to wear. I have long raced trails in the Brooks Racer STs, including Pikes, BTMR and most recently the CP50. Those seem to aggravate the PF in my right foot so I am actually thinking of racing in two different shoes - the Racer ST for the left (which oddly has no PF issues ... the benefit of having it hacked in a lawn mower, but gets the Achilles or the Haglund deformity worked in other shoes like PI brands) and a PI racing flat for the left.

I think I finished May with 380.5 miles.

Enjoyed this from Gordo. I still need to get a review up for Bryon's book though.

Some of this stuff is cheesy (really, you had to talk to the girlfriend nearly each time) – but I will admit, I am a full on sucker for this stuff.  While I am not an ultra runner or a triathlete, I am admittedly some level of fan.

PM – headed up to Lucho’s and he ran me through one of his courses where we go three minutes on, two minutes off.  The three minutes are up, the two minutes are a whimpering down.  Nothing stellar from me today as the legs felt like concrete and I definitely began to realize after the fourth one that it has been a long while since I have done any vertical of significance, and it has been a few weeks since I have been to elevations higher than 5k (with a good number of those nights at 1k or less) and we were now at 9k doing stretches greater than 10 percent grade.   It looks like this (a bit more than four miles, Lucho got more than that of course -- with about 1000 feet)

Great run, great workout and great conversation.  For those worried, Lucho now has a bionic arm like Luke Skywalker and – gosh it has some abilities.  12 miles on the day.

Tuesday 053111

Photo of the day.

AM – six and half miles. Wore the PIs to ease up the PF.

Cool vid of yesterday's BB Citizen's Race. Seems like Jesus led a bit longer than the gorilla normally does.

PM - 6.5 miles easy.

Monday 053011

AM – TZ drove me the short distance over to Boys Town, and I registered for the 5 miler.  I learned when I was over there that there was also a mile run, and was bummed that I did not know about this before.  JZ and KZ would have probably jumped in that race.  Also learned that the start was not at 8, but 8:45 so I found a tree, laid down and put my feet up for a bit. 

After a bit I started a very slow, easy warm up (like 9:45 pace) for 3 miles.  It was warm (80), humid (80 percent) and windy (20 mph winds, gusting to 30).  Not ideal conditions for a fast time, but my legs weren’t feeling ideal either.  Whatever.  Ran into my recently married cousin, and chatted with him for a bit. 

I thought that it would be a fair stretch for me to get under 30 minutes, even with the altitude adjustment – simply because the training has NOT been geared to support that.  Played out a few possible race strategies in my head – go out and hold on knowing I’d fade …  go out easy and pick it up, also knowing that I would fade … or just run and not care too much about it.  Door number 3 it was …

Got out easy, and in the crowd well behind the typical fast starters.  I was being passed A LOT.  A LOT.  Went through the mile in 5:49 and then folks started to come back.  The first mile had been down wind, and perhaps a bit downhill.  In the second mile, there was some up and the “yuuts” started to come back.  In fact, for miles 2 (5:51, 11:40) , 3 (6:19, 17:59) (saw 18:40 at 5k)  and 4 (6:19, 24:15), there was a lot of this.  On the up hill, up wind sections I roll up some body and bring them back, and maybe even put some distance on them.  On the downhills they would blaze by me as if they were kicking.  The course was not crazy hilly, but had a few grades in excess of 5 percent, which is a decent hill for a road race.  Still while rolling folks up hill and up wind, it was clearly slowing the whole field.  A dared a glance at the GPS and saw high sixes in the pace and decided not to look at it again. 

In the last mile I saw a gray hair that I had spotted earlier in the race, but who was way ahead at that point (I talked to him after the race and he had gone through the first mile in 5:30).  I started to work to see if I could roll him up, but he held me off by tick or two at the line.  I finished in 30:40 (last mile at 6:07, but then some “correction”).  Not great, but not bad – and certainly not surprising given what I have been doing.

Later I learned that had I caught this guy, I would have got the top masters spot.  Eh, snooze, loose.  11th overall, 2nd master.

Ran back and found my cousin in the crowd.  At least three folks were down and getting medical attention in the mile I jogged back to find him.  One guy was getting an IV.   It was humid for sure – definitely not loving the NE humidity, and slime that goes with that.

I lost my cousin as I peeled off for his finish and so I decided to head back to the hotel (versus hanging out extensively for any post race festivities).  I did the quick shower and superman switcheroo so that we could hit the car and head back to the high holy ground of Colorado.  12.5 miles on the day.

Other things from the weekend …

… at the wedding, as they introduced the wedding party in the reception, it was a bit of a roast, a little sarcasm at each of them.  Nice touch. 

… I had a salad at lunch on Sunday and the locals thought I was some tree hugging, vegetarian, communist, Boulderite, hippie, left wing, health food nut.  I guess I might be some of those, but the salad did have chicken.  They all got the chicken fried steak or the chicken fried chicken.

… Plantar F is not happy sitting here in the car as I traverse middle America.  And the wind is blowing the van around fairly good.

… This week coming up is Dirty Thirty 50k.  Yet another attempt for me to get a ultra race completed.  Again, not high expectations given what sort of training I have been doing, but looking forward to a day of jogging.

… thinking of folks at the Bolder Boulder today for sure.  Hope everyone had the race they wanted!

… the clouds in eastern Colorado sure were … interesting!

Sunday 052911

So apparently now you can be sued if you are a seismologist and don’t predict earthquakes.  Brilliant.

Fittest cities in America …

What are you doing July 23rd?  I might do this if I am around … never have done the Incline.

Caught wind that BRR standard bearer Dr. Irving Weiss passed away.  Glad I got to run with this fine gentleman.  He was amazing to see running with us at Purple Runner in his 80s.

New single crossing of Grand Canyon FKT.

5 miles easy in Omaha, somewhere in middle America.  Legs have felt pretty dead again here for most of the week – surely an outcome of travel and associated diet choices.  Platar F is barking too, but that is probably because I was tearing up the dance floor last night in dress shoes.  Anyway – expecting to run the Memorial Day 5 miler tomorrow out here.  Will see if I can hold it under sixes, although there is little reason to think that I can do that since that is a challenge for me at 5 right now.

We are sharing a hotel room with the kids while here.  The close quarters makes for some interesting challenges – for the kids.  They are not fond of the fact that I have running clothes in this single room.  Mix in that those clothes end up wet and sweaty (versus a drier stink in CO) and they are really protesting.

Been using the Pandora app for runs on lately.  The RCPM channel pops up a band that I am digging, Cross Canadian Ragweed.  Might need to check out more of their stuff.

I end the week with 71 miles, with 61 of that coming on 5 days.  Not quite the week I wanted, but I am still working through what I can do and better discipline on these weeks with travel.  Solo business travel I might be able to swing a 100 mile week, but when I travel with my team, I have yet to demonstrate the ethic to get up at 4AM to put in bigger miles, or to push workouts.  There is a part of me that sees that I am not doing that work and I realize there will be a price to pay for that, but there is a (significant) part of me that does not really care or get worked up about this (hence the results).  It is a back and forth in my head: 
Hey, no sweat – I can turn the screws in June and July and it will come.  Yeah, you said that about April and May too.  Well, I have a good base.  Of road miles and nothing really working hard.  Well, I am keeping a balance better between work, family and running.  Fine, just don’t expect running to be significantly better in terms of performance.  I think I am okay with that.  I mean, really, I think I am okay.  Except when you think you can do … Whatever, there is plenty of time.  Sure, but will you use it? 

I think I have 355 miles on the month, and 1557 on the year.

Saturday 052911

In Nebraska for a weekend wedding.

 

Got on the Big Papio trail for an easy 11. Looks like this alot ...

 

 

Might be a down day tomorrow (Sunday) because there is rumor that various wedding attendees might be doing the Boys Town Memorial Day five miler. Not sure if I will run that hard, with the groom, or with JZ (or at all) yet.  Or we may need to bolt home today because of pending pups showing up.

Actually, down time might be more the aspect the various family events.  Like how many spoons you can get on your nose contests.

Friday 052711

Off to Omaha later today.

AM – got out and headed off to Lullwater, but this AM it was not Lullwater at all.  It was highwater.  There were a serious of strong thunderstorms that blew threw the area last night.  There were branches, mostly small, but some pretty large blown off trees on the roads to Lullwater.  As I came down Houston Mills Road, the road was taped off with police tape.  As I was staring at it a Dekalb Sheriff drove up.  I lifted the tape so that he could drive under and he rolled down his window to thank me.  He shrugged, “Sure.  I don’t know what is going on down here so go at your own risk.”  Ran down and there was a gang shoot out going on a tree across the road. 

In Lullwater, one of the paths I have been running has a water pipe that you run across.  Typical 18” pipe, about 3 or 4 feet off the ground at its highest– and extending maybe 8 or 10 feet across a small gulley.  In any case – it was invisible today – completely underwater.  Most of the park had flooding in many places.  The trails being as they were, threw me off and I ended up traversing through someone’s backyard to get back.  11 miles.

Thursday 052611

McDougall gets off a bad charge (thanks to Tim for the tip).

257 miles in 2 days. Or 130 miles a day. Seems pretty solid.

AM – sluggish this AM, but back down to Lullwater. 11 miles. PF barking because of the effort yesterday.

Wednesday 052511

AM – got a good night sleep, but yet another too wonderful dinner. I am sort of in shape but sort of not. The meals I have been enjoying a bit too much of as of late ain’t helping. II don’t do well on tests of character when the beer list (page 1 of 16 – seriously) looks like this. 

I sort of care but I sort of don’t. Anyway …

Got out this morning and headed towards Lullwater. I got a taste of this park the other night, and I hoped to gobble it up a bit more now that I had the route to it dialed in.

About a 1/4 mile into the run the GPS died. Oh yeah, never charged it yesterday.

But it was sort of liberating to be free of knowing exactly how far I went and how fast. This run suddenly became a true fartlek. I ran hard until I needed rest. And then I rested until I wanted to run hard again. Repeat. It was … awesome.

Lullwater is truly a gem. Thick green forests with delicious tasty slurpy single track. The trails of the east – ah, I have missed something about them. Their roots, rocks, lack of switchbacks, lack of grooming, their bugs attacking you (inhaled 3) and the leaves of plants reaching out to sting you. Seriously – loved it. Apparently the Emory College President lives the part of the park that is well groomed (and those big green fields are pretty neat too). Good kicks if you can get the gig.

And then of course you just see stuff here that you don’t see on Colorado trail runs (duh GZ):

Lots of this:

Guessing, based on how long I was out there, the effort pace feel that it was 12 miles.

And oh, yeah … definitely definitely … you sweat a lot here.

Funny read about a guy, a bike and his run in with a cop.

Significant snow up on the peak.

PM – three miles, super easy.  Burp.

Tuesday 052411

AM – felt really sluggish. Had aspirations for a bit more, but shut it down after 5 miles. Was thinking I'd get out tonight, but probably not ...

Some pix from yesterday’s run … The Lullwater Park area is pretty sweet (thanks for the recommendation on that one Laubster)

Interesting read on the this Bonnett kid.

Petzold has some big goals for Pikes.

Rickey has gone 80s hair.

This is cool.

www.simonwhitfield.com - "Yeah but can Cavendish do this?" (@markcavendish) from swhitfield on Vimeo.