Friday 021315

Got back late last night, and then back on the phone for work this AM.  Tired. 

I asked the boy to pack for the Oopik (snow cave) program last weekend.  So that meant we did it today.  It only took him 3 and a half hours.

I felt tired, bloated and stiff from the travel today.  You’d think with the last two days at just at 3 miles each I’d feel great.  It was more the opposite.  Nonetheless, with the gorgeous weather, I knew what I had to do – get out and get in some miles to break up the crap.  I lumbered through 15 miles and felt better afterwards than I did at the start.  It was almost hot out …

Off to the ice cave making …

Thursday 021215

AM – seriously unmotivated to get out of the bed.  I realized however that if I did catch at least a half an hour, I’d feel a little clearer than not doing anything at all.  I found some true single track trails in University (not a pic of that below) and sloshed around those for a bit.  3.7 miles.  I listened to a good interview with Coburn from HOR episode 251. 

Also now queued up in the podcast lineup now is Flotrack’s “Track After Dark” and Magness Science of Running podcast.

Pot and ultras … uh, yeah.  As I have groused about here before, it is a possible performance enhancer in ultras.  “The person who is going to win an ultra is someone who can manage their pain, not puke and stay calm,” said veteran runner Jenn Shelton. “Pot does all three of those things.”

Adrian’s report from XC.

Justin interviews Sir Nick

Red eye flight back home tonight.

Wednesday 021115

The Ice Beard Runners Facebook page got some traffic on Competitor.

Draggin ass hard today as we were out late last night (and quaffing a fair number).  A measly (but vaccinated) 3.2 miles before heading out for dinner.

Good video on Dooper, very well done.

Think father time does not impact performance?  The guy who WON the men’s masters race would have been in 50th place as an 8k split en route to 12k in the open race.  Also worth noting is that the top four in the open race were among the very few who negative split in that race (there were 7).  Generally as the results march deeper there, there appears to be more and more of a trend of folks going to a greater positive split (probably reflective of the younger guys going for it more early, the challenge of the longer race and the fact it was way hotter than the AM race).

Splitz

I did a bit of number crunching on the splits from XC.  While it is not a perfect analysis because it really can’t show surges or mid lap shifts in pace, it gives you an idea of who may of have gone out too fast, or too slow, positive and negative splits over the front and second half of the race, and a comparison of the first lap to the rest of the race for each participant.  A few things: 
-only 12 people negative split
-most folks who positive split did it within my arbitrary marker of what might be a reasonable about – within 5%.
- even within those that ran a fairly even split (or within my arbitrary 5%), they were still likely to have started too fast on the first lap.  I expect that would mean for most is a first fast lap followed by two in the middle at a slower pace and then a pickup at the end.
 
Anyway, it doesn’t change anything about the race, just some stuff to look at.  I might muck with it more … maybe looking at the location of where the runners are from to see if that has some correlation to someone going out too hard or not.

Arguably XC is not about even splits, or negative splits.  It is often touted as a take it out hard and hold on sort of game.  That sort of strategy might work for the front runners (think what the Kenyans are doing in the marathon these days and that is essentially it), but for most midpackers the general consensus is that an even paced race is best.

I say general consensus because I am not wholly convinced for these shorter distances that is an absolute law in running.  Generally I feel that if you are operating within some range of your fitness, you are likely to run nearly the same time as a perfectly split race. 

I look back a bunch of the mile races I did in the late 90s and early 2000s.  I was pretty much in 4:35 to 4:40 shape for a big chunk of tim.  There were races where I went out in 63 (too fast, as it translates into 4:10 for a mile) and ran … 4:38.  And there were races that I went out in 80 (or 5:21 pace) and ran … 4:38.  And there were races where I ran 69 mid for the first lap and I ran … 4:38.  Those races played out very differently and had different types of hurt associated with them but they generally got me to the same ball park of time.  Obviously if I gone out 90 or 59, it would be different.  And I think this is more the case with the short distances than say a marathon where mistakes in pacing get magnified.

I can sort of see that in the 8k race results.  A lot of guys went out faster than what they held but they did not get out so fast that it completely tanked their race (and for me tanked is the very arbitrary guess of more than a 5% variance).

You can look at Doug Bell (15:33, 16:55) or Cushing Murray (15:05, 16:17) and assuming they did not have an injury or something similar and say at best they went for it, and that they went out too fast.  Or you can look at Wes and said he went out too slow (15;46, 15:15).  Then again, given he passed a dozen plus people in the last two laps, he probably had a dang good time doing it. 

All that said, at some point, it sort of doesn’t matter.  We line up and run.

Tuesday 021015

News:  how good was Dave Dunham?  The dude set 152 course records over his career. 

If I read this the right way, I think Peter is saying that as I get older, I don’t get less fit, I become more self preservationist with my thinking … and hence slower.

Nice XC report from the weekend.  I was telling TZ who thinks I am ridiculously skinny now that I looked like a linebacker compared to the skeletons with the condoms pulled over their heads at that start line.  The pics show this bears some truth.

AM – dark and wet.  Maybe a little cold but that is 40 something here versus 10 something.  Mumbled around in the dark around the university.  10 miles.  I came along one of those orange plastic fences on a spot on the trail and decided to head down the hill to get to the road below it.  That ended up with me sliding on my ass on the grass and mud for about 20 yards.  It was actually pretty comical but thankfully it was early enough that none of the students were awake to see it.

In the evening, I got together with two guys I last saw on March 29, 1990.  That was the day we were all released from the Air Force, and left Loring Air Force Base in Maine.  Even though we had not seen each other in almost a quarter century, we fell back into stride with each other laughing, sharing and catching up.  While we have all obviously aged, there was a core of character that had not changed.   These guys are the best.

Monday 020915

While my personal eyes were on XC this weekend, there was a lot of ripping stuff going on the track elsewhere that I caught up via the intercobwebs..  Simpson got the 2 mile AR, and Coburn bettered her performance for 2k from over a year ago. 

At XC, we were chatting lightly on the Coburn not getting the record story.   Coburn was denied officially getting the AR for the steeple from her 9:11 this summer because she errantly missed doing a post performance drug test at that race.   I beat on USATF for a good number of their errors, but they really had no choice in this one.  Had they let her record stand, it would appropriately be called out as bending their own rules.  Whoever is Coburn’s agent or handler ought to be fired.

There was a lot of action on the ultra side too, and Justin covers that well.  It was good to see D-bow get a big win at Tarawera – super nice kid every time I had talked to him. 

But admittedly, I loved most seeing how cross was the cross – you had the track and road speedsters (guys like Ritz and Derrick) mixing it up with the mountain guys like Sage and Gray (check out the shot by Justin where he appears to be frothing at the mouth) and Smyth.  It is not hard to imagine why the Letsrun crowd thinks that any guy who runs a 2:18 marathon or a 65 half is a shoe in to run Mount Washington under an hour or win some 50 miler.  Heck, given that Sage was nearly 30th in the XC race, you have to think that someone who has run a 13:30 5k would be a lock to win at Leadville, right?  Wait, who is that Kiwi Olympian watching the XC race?

Travelling today.   Got in an easy to steady 7.2 before buzzing out to the airport.  I am bit stiff in spots from the Saturday race, but generally okay.  I hit the snow cave thing again when I get back this weekend, so this week may end up being a bit more of a down week. 

After arriving I got out for another five and half in the dark and in the rain along Mallard Creek.  It is a complete mess of construction down there, so I might need to find an alternative path to check out for running this week.

Joey G covers his XC exploits over the last two weeks.

Sunday 020815

Some very good shots from Chris.  I have to say “some” because some have some guy in it that looks a helluva lot uglier when I see him up in those pix then when I eyeball his handsome self in the mirror. 

Need to dig into this article on USATF bumbling.

AM – a bit stiff and creaky but not really sore.  AM, 6 miles.  First five were a nice opener and loosened things up a bit.  I then swung out to get TZ on her jog and finished it up.

Anyone who watched the men’s senior race yesterday was wondering what Whacker was up to.  He had a 20 yard lead 600 yards into the race.  You can sort of get the idea from this shot by Chris. Look at him and then look at where the crowd’s eyes are.  He ended up as a DNF and so it has me wondering if he was a rabbit of sorts.  I don’t think if he was that the outcome of the race is different but those guys did go out quick.  Sage Canaday has his first mile split as 4:45 and he was 10 seconds off the leaders on the first loop.  Still I wonder if Whacker was somehow put out there to do that just to keep it honest from the get go. 

I finished this week’s ATC and they were discussing (or perhaps ranting) the power meter for runners thing I mentioned.   I doubt I would ever get one but I was sort of curious as to how they would rate a hill climb like Green versus 400 meter reps on the track.

Afternoon – 9.1 miles.  A touch over 7 on my own and then a couple with JZ.  Crazy to see right in front of my eyes that even though he only jogs with me once a week for a couple of miles, and usually gripes about it, he is just getting a hair stronger each time.  Damn teenagers. 

The Ruth Roberts preserve that backs up to Broomfield Open Space is actually controlled by Boulder County.  There were a bunch of these signs up all over the place down there today. 

I couldn’t see why these trails were closed.  Then I noticed a long horn wandering around not to far from the sign.  If they wanted, they could just walk around this gate as it is not a complete fence or anything.  I decided not to chance it.  More because of the long horn than than the sign.

On the week – 72.8 miles, but again a large chunk of that coming over the weekend (18+, 15+).  On the year, 390.9 miles, but low on the vertical:  just over 12.2k. 

Wes had some great wisdom, often in the form of a question yesterday as we did the infinite warm down.  If I were to look at your training log four weeks from now, what would be different about it than the four weeks before?  Ideally it would have more long runs, and more vertical.  Hidden in this question is the good point – there is not a lot of distance, speed, or vertical variation in my training.  The consistency is the strength I lean on, but it is also currently the weakness.  While I want to increase the overall miles with longer runs, I see the rest of the week being about that basic consistency on whole.  I also want to start to experiment with the long run being more along the lines of what Nate J and Lucho have been talking about recently – pushing it on the flips (just over LT, just below).  In other words, I ain’t gonna dump speed for just MAF of 180 mile weeks.

How many guys do you think will line up at Leadville with as many miles as you have over the last five years? It is a good point.  I probably have 15000 plus miles in that time frame, but less than a handful of those runs are in excess of 30 miles.  My weakness at something like the Boulder 100 was not the number of miles I had got in the year before that, but how I got those miles:  10 miles a day forever.  I got to 20 miles and knew I was going to be cooked, but faked it for another 40 or so miles. 

And a good closing point from Wes, well, there are some 25 plus weeks left before Leadville.  You should get at least 20 runs in excess of 2 hours before then. 

Wes said something that I also thought was really smart:  I just turn my brain off and run by what my GPS says.  Actually there is some point where that is not smart, but for the most of us, in most of the races we do, it is mostly smart. 

Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. (I ain’t religious but I came across 1COR9:24-27 in my reading today and found it to be interesting).

ANT Agent.  I could have a complete blog on its own for this damn piece of crap equipment that goes along with an otherwise excellent watch.  It is a maddening first world problem.  I freaking toss the whole damn thing but I am sort of committed to the sucker because of the corporate wellness program and deduction in insurance premiums I get from tracking exercise.  But damn it, I want it to work like Cheswick wants his cigarettes.

Saturday 020715 XC Nationals at Boulder

Short version:  31:45. 

Pic from Bethany G from FB.

Team – pic from Tania P from FB

Longer stuff …

Mixed results – not a great run, but not a bad run.  About in the realm of what I ought to have expect.  I think my race last week was a bit stronger.  Course felt slower than last year but I was about 20 seconds faster.   That is not surprising given my right calf imploded on lap 3.  I moved up through the field on all the laps after the initial settling, and only got passed by one guy – Wes T (who ran really smart).  Happy for Wes, was happy to catching guys all day, should have stuck with Wes. 

Benji’s splits have me at 7:52, 15:46 (so another 7:52), 23:51 (8:05), 31:45 (7:54).   Wes and I were together through 2 laps and then he gapped me, running the last at 23:35 (7:49) and 31:01 (7:25).  Really good running from him.  I was in 90th at the first lap (and had been moving up), 80th after two laps, 73rd after 3 and finished – and that is where I stayed!  At that point it was closing on guys and then getting gapped by them but nothing changed.  Bob moved up in a similar fashion, ending up 17th but not gaining or losing any places after the 3rd.  We kicked around a question if things would have changed at all if the race was 12k instead of 8.  I thought so, but the evidence here is off of two runners that nearly all the places were decided after 3 laps. 

Last year I ended up 71st , but was at 7:38 (-14 seconds), 15:28 (-18 seconds, or –2 on the split), 23:37 (-14 seconds, or –6 on the split) and then 32:05 (or +20, or +34 on the split with that 8:28).  So I was faster through 3 last year but completely tanked on the fourth.  But, subjectively, the course felt slower today. 

So yeah, mixed.  Not my best race or one that I can be over the moon about and definitely not my worst.  Somewhere smack dab, maybe a bit on the low end of expectations.  All good – glad I raced these two in Boulder the last two years.

Bob and Matt V-T led our effort, then Wes, then me, then Adrian S and then RL.  You can “watch” the race here.

Lots of pix out there that will be better than anything I took, but a few personal shots I grabbed…Doing the work (Chris B)
Wes getting satellites.
Bob taking in the bling.
Straka and Bob (although he was mistaken as Lucho by at least one person … old grumpy ugly guys all look alike)
King of fashion, Sandrock.
Great day jogging around after that watching the races, shooting the breeze with the team mates, cheering folks on and catching up with a variety of folks socially.  16.5 on the day.

Lyons JUNIOR Paul Roberts made the Junior team going to worlds.  He worked for it.  This is a picture that Chris B took.

Derrick is a beast.  He crushed the field after lap 3.  Pic from Todd S on FB.

Friday 020615

Headed into Boulder today and Bob joined me.  We picked up the uniforms for the team at Flatirons Running, then did packet pickup for the team, and then headed over to the course to check it out. 

The course is nearly exactly the same as last year EXCEPT that the finish tails into the loop versus tailing out like it did last year.  I think this for some sort of crowd management thing.


The rest of it is exactly the same.  Like last year, the is the ditch (which actually looks a bit more hard pan to me this year).  There are a fair number of soft spots on the course but the only true wet comes in the first 400 of every loop.  There is really no avoiding it.  By the senior race, it is gonna be pretty sloppy.  We did a very easy five on the course and around the golf course.  I felt like crap but that doesn’t mean shit.  Goal tomorrow really comes down to running smart in the first 5 minutes of the race.  If I go with what feels easy but is really too fast, I will be screwed for the next 25 minutes.  If I can manage that first five smartly, then it comes down to being steady and strong through the next ten to fifteen, and just making it really hurt the last minutes as much as possible.  Simple right?

It is flat enough and soft enough that I am actually considering the spikes.  I will bring a few pairs of shoes and make an AM game day call.

As fun as the race will be, the greater fun will be seeing the other races and the whole community that surrounds all this.

Finished listening to the latest Elevation Trail.  The interview with Blake Wood is good stuff.  Listening to Gary go on about cricket, Tim about motorcycles, Lucho about fishing on his latest ATC (and then there is Timko with his photo thing but I will let you google that) … lot of other stuff to do out there.  I have the guitar thing (and maybe the home brew thing but I am not needing to do that as there a new microbrewery up every month here now), but mostly the work and family thing.

I was having a conversation with someone last night and they asked what I do.  For the last few years I have been in the medical device regulatory audit business.  Yeah, exciting, eh?  The person said, “gee that sounds exciting.”  I really couldn’t tell if they were being sarcastic or serious so I went with humor for my response.  “Yeah, quarterback, astronaut, firefighter … regulatory auditor.  Childhood dream right there.  And let me tell you, it gets you in with the ladies.”  Thankfully they laughed.

My work is satisfying.  From that perspective, I enjoy it.  But no, it is not exciting.  I get to go to some pretty exciting places (Cork, Dublin, Vancouver, London, San Fran for example) and some not so exciting ones (Atlanta, Norfolk CT for example) and when I get out for a run, that can be fun.  The work is not exciting.  Hotel, office, conference room.  It ain’t hard work like the firefighter was dad was.  It is thought work.  It requires interaction with people, reading, doing some thinking, and communicating.  It is not exciting.  But it is very satisfying. 

I have been kicking this around with my kids because they continue to get sprayed with the message of “do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.”  I think you can find work that is satisfying, work a lot of days of your life, get a lot out of that, and have a lot opportunity then to pursue elsewhere what you love.  YMMV.

Anyway, side rant there, sorry.  Lucho sez in his podcast that I named the road near his house the bacon strip.  The actual bacon strip was a stretch that Shorter used to do when he was training with the Florida Track Club in the 70s.  Think of a long stretch of straight road with bumps up and down and the two lines in the middle.  Looks like a piece of bacon.  When Lucho mentioned to me that the road near his home had been constructed in part using pig fat to hold the asphalt together, the term seemed appropriate there as well.  It certainly ain’t straight.  But on a hot day you can smell the bacon sizzling if you run fast enough.

I might think twice before bringing the kids up to LVR again. (not really)

Thursday 020515

Afternoon – 6.1 easy.  I tried listening to the latest ET with Blake Wood but my head was otherwise swimming with a conversation I had with someone at work.  This is one of those where after the fact you are contemplating what you said, what they said, what was not said, what was actually said and really what the messages and take away were.  Had to tune out so I cranked up Queens of the Stone Age instead.

Abby D is out of the ladies race this weekend.  Bummer as I thought she was a lock FTW.

Wednesday 020415

Snowing again so I worked at home.  It sort of freaked out TZ how much coffee I wanted to drink.  And that I was shouting “FRESH POT.”

Time for the monthly dose of running will kill you.  Well, arguably breathing will kill you too.  But anyway, reconsider that rehashed stuff.

XC in Bend next year.  Hmmm.  If it works out, I could make that trip.  Then again, I need more of a reason than running around a grass field for four loops.

Good post with quotes related to character.

Afternoon – the snow broke.  I got Lucy out for a couple of miles and then packed on another easy half dozen for 8 even. 

Jenkins.  Damn.  Love this.  And … “You Americans are lost on the marathon.  It is not such a big deal running 2:10 in the marathon…”

“…a competitive 100-miler well, it's mainly about getting to the latter stages in good shape then being able to hammer it to the finish.”

Sage has been putting up a series of vids on how he is looking to train up for a sub 2:18 marathon.  He is a bit goofy, but aren’t we all.  It is cool to see all the places he runs in Boulder – just because they are the tried and true places and that he does stuff like brings in Flaherty’s music.  Some nice basic training philosophy in there as well. Apparently he will be in the XC race this weekend too.

Yeah, Nike pretty much owns USATF.  Anyway, seven things you ought to know about Boulder XC this weekend.  My note to the guys yesterday said something like this: 

1.)  Bob will talk smack and look to get you to bet on some over under prior to the race.  His therapy has addressed much of this but the best thing to do to shut him up is to beat him.
2.)  the race will go out quick.  If you look at last year's results something like TWO guys in the first 200 actually negative split.  Everyone else went slow.  It will go out fast and folks will be doing the skeleton dance on laps 3 and 4.  Make whatever strategy decisions you want off that.
3.) There will be a lot of useless but entertaining chatter of how the race went down after the race.  Stuff like, "so I was dying" and "there was a stick 20 yards off the side of the course" and "I tried to surge on that guy because his deodorant smelled like lavender."  I intend to hang around for this and very possibly the open races.  Last year this then turned into a hike over to the JJ Wells Brewery in Boulder for even more in depth analysis like "my training has been going well but then I had an eye exam" and strategies of how to pay for college.  I am good for a round for all of you.
4.)  Expect the folks watching the race to be apparently fitter than you.  Be sure to give them, particularly those of them who claim they once were such and such runner and are men and masters a large ration of crap for providing a bunch of lip and not so much hip.
5.)  Did I say it would go out fast?  And given most of this crew is on the aerobic slogger end (uh, ultra runner), it will go out fast.

Tuesday 020315

News stuff – nice read on XC, and a potential for power meters in running (wondering how long it is before Tawnee and Lucho are chatting that up).

Tuesdays seem to have become my one legged man ass kicking contest days in terms of the whirlwind of life.  Runs have become a back seat recently on these days.  But today I got it in – 10.1 with a tempo on my local section.  Nothing crazy zippy (for me)  but something I have done dozens of times, hilly (for out here) so I have a read on it.  I have run this a minute faster than I did today but I can say that time it was a helluva lot more than a tempo.  Today I was pushing it a touch, but not squeezing it. 

I really ought to do something like that once at least week if I don’t have bigger plans.

A late Leadville 2014 report.

Monday 020215

I don’t consider the blog a news site – as folks like Justin (and his past week’s coverage) and Eric do a much better job of that than I do (along with a handful of other sites).  I occasionally link to stories that have grabbed my interest or that maybe don’t get the same level of coverage.

Next Saturday … Boulder XC.  This is an insanely good preview of the master’s races.  I mean you got to love the sport to put up that level of analysis.  It even has pictures of the Bob.  I am sure it will get him fired up because he is in the pic where the author is previewing the age division OVER him (side note, I am actually in a pic as well but well hidden behind a guy who is two age divisions over me).
I am expecting to not go with spikes.  The course will be soft and so spikes would the way to go, but I have not trained in them at all this season and I risk hurting myself if I lace those up.  Like last weekend, I will go with flats.  I might lose a few seconds because of that, but with spikes I risk losing a few minutes.

Apparently you can put in a song request for the race this weekend.  Thank heavens because I heard “Skyrockets at Night, Afternoon Delight” on Saturday.  W.T.F.   

Afternoon – back up to 60 degrees so the snow is melting fast.  The trails of course are a mess so I stuck to the roads and paved “trails.”  10.3 miles that started easy but progressed up to steady. 

JT wanted to let me know that Webb was back with a recent low 15 5k.  While that was fun to see, it was not nearly as good as the guy who crushed the 5k field by NINE MINUTES – finishing the race before anyone else got to two miles.

#GOM rant no, 263.  I am one of those parents who, when their kids exclaim “but it is not my fault!!”, smile and ask, “of course, it is not your fault.  So whose fault is it?”  This of course only further frustrates them and they start to sing of how whatever error they have made is really nobody’s fault, and that it was just a mistake so gee-old-man-why-do-we-have-to-get-all-judgy-and-actually-put-someone-at-fault-and-can’t-you-take-this-stupid-accountability-crap-speech you have somewhere else?  Yes, of course there are mistakes made and they are rarely done with bad intent in our hearts, but you still screwed up and you are at fault.  There is some importance in this to me because I think if you take those situations where you are at fault and somehow translate them into you are never at fault, you can build this shell of a world where you never have to learn from anything, you can live to be a victim all the time, and you can skip out on general accountability.  Okay, I understand that might be taking it a wee bit too far, but you get the picture.

I was discussing the various day at school with my daughter recently and she was laughing at how one of the teachers tripped and the kids found it funny.  Nobody pushed the teacher.  She didn’t get hurt.  She just klutz a bit in her heels and the kids found that funny.  The teacher told the kids that the tripping was her fault but it was some inanimate objects fault.  I don’t remember if it was the heels or the rug or something else.  I find that a bit … well, stupid.  Last I checked, nearly every human has tripped, stumbled and fallen.  Do we blame the planet now because there is gravity?  She wasn’t hurt so why couldn’t we say, yeah YOU tripped, and have a laugh about it?  The very idea that the first reaction was to exclaim they were not at fault, is a bit disturbing to me.

On a lighter note – there is Will Ferrell. 

Sunday 020115

AM – it snowed pretty big last night.  I picked up KZ at 9:30 and it was clear.  By 10, the stuff was flying and accumulating quick.  I figure we woke to at least 6 inches in Broomstock (but by lunch that is probably half melted).

I drove over to the Southern Sun, and did a slow 5 to prestart things.  Met up with Shad and Bob after that and we added on another dozen or so.  I finished with 17.2. 

About a mile and a half into the run with Shad and Bob, we stopped along Marshall for a quick pee pit stop.  We full on talking smack to each other at this point about Leadville, including how much weight work that Shad was doing so that he could handle the bike.  The fact that a certain someone couldn’t pull a single pull up was toss out there.  Some guy came running by just as we started up again and while there was muttering still afoot we went quiet as to not freak out the locals (even though he had probably heard the whole conversation).  As we pulled up to him I glanced over and happened to notice that it happened to be some guy who had won Hawaii Ironman some six times.  He jogged with us for a bit, sharing some of the conversation.  After he split off, I asked Bob and Shad if they knew who that was, and they didn’t.  Classic on so many levels.  Anyway, I got a selfie picture of it all … it looked like this except I photoshopped out the snow.

Afterwards, we made sure we were the first through the door for Stout Month at the Southern Sun (or maybe it was because we were cold, hungry and thirsty).

The menu for Stout month is rather insane.  There have to be close 2 dozen different stouts on the overall menu.

The Timkos were holding court … their kid has a bigger social life than me.  Although I set a pretty low bar.

Thoughtful post from Meagan D-R.

63.1 miles on the week, but like 35 of that came today and yesterday.  I was actually tempted to go do another 6.9 just to get another week at 70.  But, as I was reminded by Bob, it was just chasing miles to make up lost time from the front of the week.  That just ain’t the best with a 8k race in 6 days.

Saturday 013115 Winter Classic 4 (ish) miler

AM – 3 mile warm up with Bob.  The field was pretty light at the Winter Classic 4 miler, or at least in comparison to the other races I have run there, it seemed a bit smaller.  Bob and I noted that it was a pretty split field:  young and fast guys, and everyone else.  We were in the everyone else category, but decided to line up next to the young and fast. 

Like all races, it got out pretty quick, but I tried to hold back and steady myself.  I did okay with that, but not particularly great (my first lap was still my fastest).  At one kilo in, my patience to hang with the little group I was with began to falter and I put a little gap on them.  And that was pretty much it for the race.  I passed no one else and no one passed me.  4.2 miles (4.18) at 6:10 pace.  Not that it matters much in XC but the first lap was 8:18, the second 8:35 and the last (not counting the last finish leg) and 8:29.  So a bit of a fade off there but a fairly evenly paced effort for me.  Not sure what this translates to for next week, as that course is longer (another mile-ish) but a lot less hilly.  In fact, I’d say there are no hills next week.  Oh yeah, felt like I couldn’t really dig … just sort of numbly uncomfortable (versus comfortably numb) … probably the outcome of not racing much (which makes me thing I ought to race a bit more)

Did five with Bob to cool down afterwards.  He was well ahead of me … over a minute.  You can use this site to see how that played out.  Good news – faster on this course (although it was run in the other direction) than last time.  Results are up (they have me as closer to 6:17 pace though).  4th old guy but that ain’t saying much given the thin field. 

Queued up for listening:  interview with Duncan C.  And an interview with Wetmore.

Reading:  periodized blocks, or generally periods of high intensity versus periods of not.  Not something I really do. 

Related to that, I have been kicking around an idea of how parts of my mind have embraced some level of mediocrity, because of societal messages that such mediocrity is great.  In running, I hear at work of how amazing a runner I am.  People see me running in the neighborhood and that I have run a 100 or that I that I did some nutty race in Fairplay with a burro and I am an amazing runner.  It can leave me thinking that – I am good.  And good can be the enemy of great.  Now by great I don’t mean that I will be some Olympic athlete, but that I become settled and comfortable with where I am.  I based what I am off the signals I get from the world … and in this case, I am good enough, smart enough, and gosh dang it I am special. 

This is actually applicable in arenas outside of running.  I have worked at the same company for 16 years and gosh darn it that is special.  Gee, I hung out with my son on the Colorado Trail and so I am an amazing Dad.  And my wife and I are married for nearly 20 years and geez that is amazing. 

Yes, running a 18 minute 5k is something most can’t do.  And having a job with the same company where you both get a benefit out of it for that long is not something most of us enjoy.  And my family relationships are a blessed thing.  I don’t discount any of that.  I am grateful and thankful for that.  But I can see how it can lead to a mentality that I am good enough.  And that is poison.  I need to look in the mirror and ask if I have accomplished all I can.  Be grateful.  Be thankful.  Be humble.  But strive for more from yourself and what you do with what you have and what you can do for those you love and who love you. 

Namby pamby shit, right?  Yes, to some extent.  But I do see how I embrace mediocrity in quiet ways.  I deserve that beer because I ran this much.  I can buy these toys because I worked for it.  I don’t have take the time to spend with others who need me because I should get me time.  I am good enough with my job so I don’t need to push harder there.  Single cases of these are probably fine, excusable and healthy.  But a pattern of these can represent a loss of discipline that leaves me … mediocre.

This is not a new concept … what got you here won’t get you there.  Your strength becomes your weakness.

Good ATC (sans the crap on EMF).  I really enjoyed the questions on low carb diets and MAF.  The debate on low carb high fat and whatever other diet seems unnecessary to me.  I think (but don’t always practice) that most adults should eat less, move more, get the stuff that is towards the edges of the grocery store (meaning the stuff in the aisles is usually more likely to be laden with crap you probably don’t want or need), think about what you put in your mouth and find what works for you.  If you that means to you that you only eat fruit – okay.  Or some bacon diet, okay.  Or if you are an Eskimo just seal and fish, okay.  That might be different for Joe Everyone versus the guy or gal training for a marathon.  And that might be different for a person training for a 5k.  Think in the general rules … and then refine it to the individual.  But the rules for the individual don’t mean those are the rules for everyone. 

Always good to revisit the Daniels calculator occasionally.

Pikes has redone their website.  Reg opens up in March. The big changes according to John G via the Incline Newsletter:

Here are the highlights:
1) The wave 1 vs 2 distinction is gone. Runners will be assigned a starting wave based on their qualifying time.
2) Peak Veterans can use a peak time up to 3 years old.
3) Peak Rookies need a 1/2 or full marathon qualifier run in the past 2 years (Jan 1st, 2013 or newer).
4) The 1/2 marathon qualifying time remains the same at 2:25:00.
5) The full marathon qualifying time is now 5:45:00 (up from 5:30:00).
6) The option to use the GoG race as your qualifier remains the same.
Notice to Doublers: This year, there is an additional $50 fee for everybody who registers for both races in order to cover the cost of the Doubler jacket (you know you want one...).
About that starting time thing... In the past, there was Wave 1 and Wave 2 for the PPA, and one big happy group for the PPM. This year, in an effort to try and reduce the mass congestion that occurs when the race hits the dirt, runners will be assigned to X number of starting waves based on their qualification times. The actual number of starting waves will be announced later.
Registration opens March 18th.

Interesting read from Skurka on his MET.

Friel has a book coming out.

Solid ET.  Seriously laughed out loud a few times.

January finishes with 300.9 miles, 39.6 hours, 3 days off, and 9665 vertical feet. 

Friday 013015

Wrapped up a busy week at work.  Good week, but busy.  Didn’t get out for a run until late.  I am expecting to race tomorrow and so to force it to keep it easy and cuz’ she was itchin’ for it, I jogged with Lucy.  5.2 miles under the quarter moon. 

Race in the AM … contemplating two completely opposite strategies:  either going with Bob from the gun as I know that will mean I will likely crack at some point or holding back hard so I can roll in the later laps.  The second is probably more fun.  The first will probably what I end up doing. 

In any case, it will serve a pretty good predictor to next week (nice write up by Justin).

Thursday 012915

AM – slept hard so I woke up a bit refreshed.  Hit the typical five mile route.  It is one of those routes that I have done so many times, I know that spot where the air is a little cooler in the mornings, have wondered how long that old Chevy pickup has been parked there because the weeds around are starting to grow into it, know what houses are lit up early, and maybe if any pebble is out of place.

Wednesday 012815

I thought I would get home last night and run.  But after Scouts, I actually started doing some work.  And then it was late and I was tired.  So I thought I would go in the morning.  But then I slept in, and as I started to slowly awake, I could hear the winds whipping and my princess arse decided to catch another 30 minutes of shut eye.

Full day at work.   It is not anything out of the ordinary of course.  It comes and goes.  This week it is coming.  It is good from a work perspective but it beats me down in a different way.  Got home from the work day around 9:30, and it was off to the rack.

“Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.” 
“As your plans get more detailed, it's also more and more likely that they won't work exactly as you described them.”

You should check out Peter’s book.

it is incumbent upon the individual to go out into the world full of curiosity, searching for experiences and emotions and knowledge and in the process inevitably happening upon instances of beauty and joy, and maybe even moments that feel disturbingly close to something like truth.

Tuesday 012715

Jenkins continues his solid posts regarding marathon training.

AM – 5 miles, easy predawn.  These are easy but they take me a bit to wake up in the cold and dark because I am a wimp like that.

Full work day, Scouts in the evening.

Monday 012615

Interview with recent Nolans 14 finisher Gavin M.

A read re: LCHF for the evening.

AM – predawn, a couple of miles with TZ walk jog.

I have been fortunate enough to have no less than four conversations in the last few days regarding Leadville.  Bob, Wyatt, Brett and Andy have all taken some time to give me some advice (there have been some others, like Nick and JT (“my advice is that you not be such a p*ssy” but this is just the stuff I have been kicking around in the last couple of days).  Some keys …

1.)  There is training this, training that.  There is not consensus on the best way to train.  There is agreement that this race comes down to your ability and willingness to run in the latter stages of the race.   There is apparently a general rule of thumb out there:  Run 40 and walk 60 and you will finish under 30 hours.  Run 60 and walk 40 and you will finish under 25.  Whether that is true or not does not matter – it is the principle of the thing that does.  Run.
2.)  If you have to know a part of the course, the sections from Twin Lakes to Fish Hatchery, the Powerline and the Timberline all the way back are probably the most important.  The climb from Twin is one that puts the fork in many, the Powerline climb has many false summits that can break you, and the long section back from the CO Trail is good to dial in.
3.)  There is not consensus if back to back training runs work.  There is consensus that I need to do whatever I can to ready my legs for the descent on Pikes.  So – lots of downhill hard running to prep for that.  Crush the quads to crush it later
4.)  Recovery is the key the week in between.  I don’t intend to run a step but I will be active to help recovery.  Eat and hydrate well. 

I have also kicked some of this in the comments previously but I will put it out here now:  if I ascend really well in PPM, as in well enough to possibly PR at Pikes – I am going to go for that.  I realize that will probably set up for less than ideal conditions at Leadville, but I am willing to take that.  My chances to PR at Pikes are limited and if that knocking on the door is happening, I will answer that call and take my chances the next week.  The threshold for that is around a 2:50 ascent.  I have not gone that fast but 3 times and it has been a number of years since I have, so that will be tough call … but at the same time, I feel it is within the realm of possibility.  At the other end, if I am completely tanking the climb (let’s say greater than 3:20), I will look to cut my losses and ride the descent in a fashion that gets me out of there with the least amount of damage. 

And so, I am sure that means I will get up in like 2:54.  And that I will have to make a choice.  I am pretty sure that choice will be that I will compete. 

Afternoon – over in the Westminster Hills and the dog park.  11.4 miles, progressing as I woke up.  Crazy warm out and even no wind. 

Evening festivities.