Pre-season update

I'm calling today the official end of my "off-season". I've got next weekend's 55k in Moab to look forward to and after that, the real fun begins with events lined up pretty much every month til October. Sooooo...

Since my last post on Jan 21st, I've been doing 3 hr runs on each Saturday since then and following it up with an easy 1-2 hrs on Sunday. Then during the week, mostly light runs along the flat roads here in the valley with the occasional redline climb up to Mud Lake. This past week, I put in what I guess many "training regimented" athletes would call a peak week in preparation for a pre-race taper. 6 out of 7 days running (Sunday-Saturday) for a total of about 60 miles. That's a big week for me. I don't remember the last time I ran 6 out of 7 days in the week. Probably some time in 2007 while I was running myself into the ground in my attempt to get fitter. I've learned that I'm actually fitter when I run big on the weekends and recover (by not running at all on many days) during the week. And this is also good because it allows me time to have a life outside of running. It's a great balance.

And speaking of balance, I think I may have found the pack I'm going to use for this summer's 4-day run along the length of the John Muir Trail in August: http://www.aarnpacks.com/products/marathon_magic.html

Getting one could be a bit tricky though seeing as they are virtually non-existent in the U.S. If anyone knows of a good lead on how to get one, please be so kind and forward to me!

Next post, recap of the Valentine's Day Moab Red Hot 55k.

Game on, Cupid!

Capitol Peak Mega Fat Ass 2009

This year's course was modified yet again due to the deep snows that have again fallen stoutly on the upper elevations in Capitol Forest. So three years I have run in this event and three years there have each been different courses and unique conditions. This year, the entire course was very runnable with mostly firm (muddy, but firm) trails and moderate grades on the climbs. Two, 15+ mile loops of undulating singletrack with one moderate climb just before the halfway point and a mile long stretch of moderate downhill dirt road about 3/4 around. And the conditions were as close to perfect as we could hope for given we were running in Capitol Forest in mid-January. We started in the fog at 8am with mild temps probably near 45 degrees and we finished in the sun 4hrs, 20mins and 50k later. What?!?! No rain?!?! Other than a 4 minute stop at the halfway point between loops to refill water, Trevor and I ran pretty much the entire way. Step for step, we cruised through the drippy forested areas separated by a half dozen or so clear cuts. (Or maybe it was just one gigantic clear cut that we clipped in and out along the edges as we made our way around the loop. I don't know. All clear cuts look the same.) It was as solid a race as I could have hoped for with the second lap just ten minutes slower than the first. Trevor was running strong. I felt good for pretty much the entire race except for the left side of my neck that I had pinched a nerve in or something a few days earlier while stretching my arms and back at work. Don't know what exactly I did to it, but it became increasingly uncomfortable as the run wore on and I couldn't hardly sleep for the next two nights without it causing me pain when I moved. It's just now getting to where I don't really notice it. Other than that, nothing was sore. No leg pain. Muscles, knees, feet... nothing. Perfect. Felt so good, I called up my buddy Joe and met him at Mt. Tabor on Sunday morning to do our traditional "Stair Loop" around the old dormant volcanic butte. Three easy laps around Mt. Tabor and we were basking in the good ol times when we used to run this loop every Tuesday or Wednesday after work. That was ten years ago.

Read Trev's account of the run here: http://mountains00.blogspot.com/2009/01/pr-at-capital-peak-mega-fat-ass.html

Results: http://www.capitolpeakultras.com/cpmfa30mileresults.htm

Powder Mtn, UT

Top of the Calendar

Here we go.

Another year down. Another year ahead. And alot's changed. At this time last year, running wasn't but a blip on the radar due to continuing patellar tendonitis issues in both knees. Running a mile was causing pain not to mention one hundred of them. After a winter of skate skiing and getting out on the road bike on the weekends in the lower elevations around Idaho Falls, I eventually found myself looking at running again in early April. There was a race in Bend, OR, the Peterson Ridge Rumble, a 34 miler which I decided to do as somewhat of a test-run to see how the knees would hold up. I was fairly unprepared for the distance. My longest run in the previous three months was about 25 miles in January. With nothing much since then, I suffered through to the end of the race, feeling completely drained. But the knees held up and thus my entry into the Bighorn 100 was sent in. After muddling my way through to the finish of my first 100 miler last June, I couldn't wait for the next opportunity to utilize what I had learned during that race to improve my experience at that distance. So, naturally, I signed up for the next event I could find: The Leadville 100 seven weeks later in August. And there, armed with better-fitting shoes, stronger fitness, more patient pacing, and better nutrition, I pulled off a 23 hour, 44 minute 100 miler, finishing with a strong last 25 miles. A sub-24 100 was something I had dreamed of doing since I first learned about 100 mile races. Mission accomplished. I had complete satisfaction after that, feeling that if I had to quit running at that point, I would feel like I had acheived the success I had aimed for. And yet, two weeks later, I found myself at the starting line of the Grand Teton 100 after feeling completely recovered since Leadville and after being urged to race again by my friend Lisa, the race director. Well, my right IT band began giving me trouble fairly early on (20 miles into the race) and I decided to drop at mile 83 to prevent further damage and ruin my chances to pace my buddy Trevor to his first 100 mile finish the following weekend at Wasatch. I wish I could have finished, but feel like I made the right decision since I had already commited to pacing Trevor and then was witness to the best display of true grit and determination I have ever seen being out there with him for the second half of his first 100 mile finish.

Then, in the fall, I got the road bike out and logged alot of miles up over Teton Pass on the weekends and after work and got some good cyclocross racing in. I feel like the cross training helped tremendously and after a few long 30 mile+ runs in October and November and a good couple days running in the Gorge during my trip to Portland in early December, I felt ready for another hundy. Physically, mentally... I was tugging at the reins.

The weekend before Christmas, MikeE and I drove to Moab for a quick two-day trip to get some running in on the route of the Moab Red Hot 50k course, a race we're both going to do on Valentine's Day. We got in 6 1/2 hours on Saturday in the Gemini Bridges area along the front half of the course and another 2 hours on Sunday in the Poison Spider Mesa area along the back half of the course. Perfect. There was a shallow layer of snow on the ground and it was sunny and not all that warm, but better running conditions than up in the Tetons. Felt good to be out getting some good miles.

On Gemini Bridges Rd with Arches Nat'l Park in the background

Gemini Bridges

Metal Masher Rd

Above the rim with the La Sal Mtns in the background

MikeE running with his favorite bird

Road trip sock graveyard

Poison Spider Mesa

So what's next for this brand new year? Potentially big things. And lots of them. Maybe. Here's the tentative list of upcoming races. Will they all happen? Well, yes, but whether I'm participating is yet to be determined. Obviously, this is a huge amount of competitive mileage and there are two main questions that will determine how much of this outlandish layout I will actually accomplish: 1. Will I be able to keep my body healthy to allow for this volume of punishment? and 2. Can I afford it?

January 17th - Capitol Peak Mega Fat Ass 50k+

February 14th - Moab Red Hot 50k+

March 21st - Antelope Island 50 Mile

April 25th - Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 mile (combined with another Grand Canyon R2R2R two days later)

May ? - Still looking for something...

June 6th - Squaw Peak 50 Mile

June 19th - Big Horn 100

July 11th - Hardrock 100 (if I get in via the lottery. Nolan's 14 will be the substitute)

August 3rd-9th - John Muir Trail

August 22nd - Leaadville 100

September 12th - Plain 100

October 2nd - D.R.T.E. 100

At least I've got some goals.

It's still snowing here. I'm going running.

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU WILL!

And while it's Christmas, let me share with you the song that's been playing over and over in my head ever since I heard it for the first time two weeks ago. No matter how hard I try, it just won't go away. Merry Christmas!

(be sure to pause the music player at the bottom of the screen before clicking the link)

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-ho-ho-ho-undeniable/533718884