Places lived = 6
States visited = 6
Races (ultra distance) = 6
Favorite number = 2 (as always)
Beginning the year living in California, I only raced once from Jan to June (Diablo 50k). It was a light year for racing but picked up steam from June on with at least one race per month (counting the 50 miles with Lucho at Leadville in Aug). My consistency continues (hell, it's about all I got in races!) I've now run 21 ultras and placed in the single digits 18 times, just three races out of the top 10 (two of them were intentionally slow runs - Red Hot 50k in '09 and Silver Rush 50 mi in '08).
With my crazy schedule for 2011, I'll try to continue that top 10 consistency but realize that anything can happen. 5-6 100 mile races would be an epic year for me. Setting goals is difficult, since I won't know about Hardrock until Feb 1. If I do get into that race, then simply finishing would be nice and in the low 30 hour range would be very nice. My biggest goals are ambitious (but so was my sub 24 hr goal at Bear), in order:
1. Top 5 finish at Leadville 100
2. Hard, hard effort at Ice Age 50 Mile
3. 20:XX hour finish at Bear 100
4. If no Hardrock, then I'd like to finish top 5 at Tahoe Rim Trail 100 (and may just opt to do this race anyway)
Of course, staying healthy and uninjured (as much as possible) is more than a goal; it's a necessity.
I mentioned to my friend, Darren, today that I've never trained in the winter, not like I'm doing this year anyway. It'll be interesting to see how this translates into the race season in terms of ability and mental attitude. Speaking of mental attitude, I know the heavy race schedule will be a drain mentally but I thrive on having an upcoming race. In the midst of blinding pain at Bear over the last 10 miles of the race at 3am all I could think about was how much fun I was having and actually planning which 100 I would run next. This is in stark contrast to the last 10 miles of the North Fork 50 mile in July where I repeatedly and adamantly said I would never run anything longer than a 50k in my life.
I know everything could change with an injury and am training as intelligently as possible to avoid it. I feel pretty in tune with my body. Unlike many guys I know, I don't have all the little aches and pains. I start each run feeling pretty well. I don't chase miles and don't compare myself with other runners (though it's frustrating sometimes when I take a day off and see on Jaime's blog that he popped another 15 mile run while I'm drinking beer on my sofa). I like the feeling in a long race when I stay even-minded and even physically. This is a carry over from my training, both daily and over the course of the four week cycles I follow.
Type of training: I'm not known for running (I use this term lightly because I know four people who actually run up Green or Bear mtns) up the local peaks regularly (more than once a week). It's fine to do that but for me I benefit more with the constant running on trails over rolling hills. Knowing I can hold a decent pace for 3 constant hours gives me more confidence and fluidity in a 50-100 mile race than knowing I can get up Green mtn in x number of mins. That said, I intend to improve my overall speed and efficiency on long climbs this year too. I run based on feel and thus don't have set days for set workouts. If I feel particularly eager and have good energy, I'll work in a fast pace effort. If I feel like a slug, I'll force out 45 mins and call it a day. The overview of my training is:
1 long run of 2.5-5 hours (depending on which week in the four week cycle that ascends in difficulty each week)
1 hill day that can be 5,000 feet of long climbs or repeated hard efforts on a shorter climb
1 mid/long run of 90 mins to 2 hours at a marathon pace effort
The rest of the week is a mix of recovery runs (45 mins) and maintenance runs of 60-90 mins. I always take at least one rest day (sometimes two) per week. I think the rest days are possibly the main reason I run with no aches or pains and can bounce out of bed at 2am and walk normally.
I'm excited to get racing in '11 and even more excited to be running for McDavid. I'll be kicking off my representation of them this Sunday on Channel 9 (KUSA) discussing McDavid, compression clothing, and endurance running. I'm a bit stiff on tv (know this from the two times I've been on the tube) but am still looking forward to talking about something I wholeheartedly believe in.
So, a wandering blog post to cap off a wandering year (a wandering life for that matter but I wouldn't want it any other way...).
31 December 2010
25 December 2010
Christmas Tradition
Ten years ago today was the last time I saw my father. Today's run I thought about him a lot. Today was also one of those days when I feel grateful for the freedom allowed by my lifestyle.
Started out running up Green Mtn, not seeing a single person until I reached the top. A girl and her straggling parents were up there, so we chatted a minute about things ranging from lady bugs to fear of heights (the mother). And I asked the girl to snap a photo of me and try to get Longs Peak in it as well.
It was way cold at 8:30 when I started but I gradually warmed by the top. McDavid makes two variations of arm warmers, lighter ones and thermal ones. The thermal ones were perfect today. I was also obviously wearing the calf compression sleeves. The rest of my ensemble was made up of Pearl Izumi products, including a new pair of Fuel XCs. I've been meaning to move up a half size in all my running shoes. I've been wearing them snugly with my toes just brushing the ends and surprizingly haven't lost a toenail. I figured with the heavy season of racing planned that now is the time to move up a half size, so I ordered five pair of PIs in my new size. They felt great on the run with no problems other than catching a toe on rocks/roots now and then but I'm sure I'll get used to them shortly.
I headed back down Green, over and up Bear Peak.
The top of Bear was empty, quiet, and warm. I scampered down to fern trail, on to Mesa and back to Chautauqua, turning back uphill towards Bluebird and over to Gregory, then back down to the lot.
To continue the tradition, I headed out for Christmas Chinese food.
I dislike Christmas for many social, commercial reasons, but mostly because of the memories of that Christmas time period ten years ago. Upon reaching his house in the Berkshires of western MA the day after he died, I got out of the car and my knees buckled under the weight of my heart. I stayed on my knees in the deep snow and single digit temperatures for a long time. I was told afterward that he said we were soul mates, which must have been true because I knew my life would never be the same. I've lost people in my life before but the impact of this loss was more than I thought I could take.
I feel closer to my dad every time I'm on a mountain trail and today even more so. That changed me into a hollow shell of who I used to be and I've been slowly filling myself back in over the last few years. Time has softened the edge but there's a void in me that I'm afraid to look into. The mountains help. Running helps. Retaining the clarity in my memories of my bond with my dad helps.
A poem by Galway Kinnell, one of my favorite poets, who inspired some of my best literary theory papers in college:
To Christ Our Lord
The legs of the elk punctured the snow’s crust
And wolves floated lightfooted on the land
Hunting Christmas elk living and frozen;
Inside snow melted in a basin, and a woman basted
A bird spread over coals by its wings and head.
Snow had sealed the windows; candles lit
The Christmas meal. The Christmas grace chilled
The cooked bird, being long-winded and the room cold.
During the words a boy thought, is it fitting
To eat this creature killed on the wing?
He had killed it himself, climbing out
Alone on snowshoes in the Christmas dawn,
The fallen snow swirling and the snowfall gone,
Heard its throat scream as the gunshot scattered,
Watched it drop, and fished from the snow the dead.
He had not wanted to shoot. The sound
Of wings beating into the hushed air
Had stirred his love, and his fingers
Froze in his gloves, and he wondered,
Famishing, could he fire? Then he fired.
Now the grace praised his wicked act. At its end
The bird on the plate
Stared at his stricken appetite.
There had been nothing to do but surrender,
To kill and to eat; he ate as he had killed, with wonder.
At night on snowshoes on the drifting field
He wondered again, for whom had love stirred?
The stars glittered on the snow and nothing answered.
Then the Swan spread her wings, cross of the cold north,
The pattern and mirror of the acts of earth.
Started out running up Green Mtn, not seeing a single person until I reached the top. A girl and her straggling parents were up there, so we chatted a minute about things ranging from lady bugs to fear of heights (the mother). And I asked the girl to snap a photo of me and try to get Longs Peak in it as well.
 |
| Green Mtn as seen from the top of Bear Peak. I've probably taken 8 photos exactly like this over the last three years. |
To continue the tradition, I headed out for Christmas Chinese food.
I dislike Christmas for many social, commercial reasons, but mostly because of the memories of that Christmas time period ten years ago. Upon reaching his house in the Berkshires of western MA the day after he died, I got out of the car and my knees buckled under the weight of my heart. I stayed on my knees in the deep snow and single digit temperatures for a long time. I was told afterward that he said we were soul mates, which must have been true because I knew my life would never be the same. I've lost people in my life before but the impact of this loss was more than I thought I could take.
I feel closer to my dad every time I'm on a mountain trail and today even more so. That changed me into a hollow shell of who I used to be and I've been slowly filling myself back in over the last few years. Time has softened the edge but there's a void in me that I'm afraid to look into. The mountains help. Running helps. Retaining the clarity in my memories of my bond with my dad helps.
A poem by Galway Kinnell, one of my favorite poets, who inspired some of my best literary theory papers in college:
To Christ Our Lord
The legs of the elk punctured the snow’s crust
And wolves floated lightfooted on the land
Hunting Christmas elk living and frozen;
Inside snow melted in a basin, and a woman basted
A bird spread over coals by its wings and head.
Snow had sealed the windows; candles lit
The Christmas meal. The Christmas grace chilled
The cooked bird, being long-winded and the room cold.
During the words a boy thought, is it fitting
To eat this creature killed on the wing?
He had killed it himself, climbing out
Alone on snowshoes in the Christmas dawn,
The fallen snow swirling and the snowfall gone,
Heard its throat scream as the gunshot scattered,
Watched it drop, and fished from the snow the dead.
He had not wanted to shoot. The sound
Of wings beating into the hushed air
Had stirred his love, and his fingers
Froze in his gloves, and he wondered,
Famishing, could he fire? Then he fired.
Now the grace praised his wicked act. At its end
The bird on the plate
Stared at his stricken appetite.
There had been nothing to do but surrender,
To kill and to eat; he ate as he had killed, with wonder.
At night on snowshoes on the drifting field
He wondered again, for whom had love stirred?
The stars glittered on the snow and nothing answered.
Then the Swan spread her wings, cross of the cold north,
The pattern and mirror of the acts of earth.
 |
| Walking with Pippit at the lake tonight. |
24 December 2010
Green Mountain and Lucho Lighting
We were planning a 6pm start to head up Green Mtn. After thinking about it, I decided this is a bit late for me; my bed time is 8:30ish (after Matlock and Murder She Wrote reruns). So, Shaun picked me up a bit before 4pm and we headed over to Chautauqua.
It was obviously light out when we started. I brought along my cool hand held Cateye (bike) light that I used at Bear 100. Shaun peeled off before the cabin to head back for water, so I headed up alone. Amazing what a difference 2.5 weeks of training has. Last time I "ran" Green with Jeff and Aron I was a gasping wreck. Last night felt great and I was able to maintain a running motion to the top, finally having to click on my light to scramble up the true summit boulder. Clicked off my light and took in the views, eastern view of population artificial lights and streams of headlights commuting from work on 36; western view of pale light behind black silhouette mountains.
Clicked the light back on and headed down the front of Green. About two minutes into the descent I noticed the light was much dimmer than normal and realized I never changed the batteries after using it all night at Bear 12 weeks ago. Uh, oh. (Any dim or otherwise underpowered light is now referred to as "Lucho Lighting" based on the little kitchen, yellow-beamed, 1-candle-power light he brought along at Leadville). My run down turned into a race against the dimming light. It was a combination of panic, focusing, and fun. Finally reaching Gregory trailhead, I just played it safe and ran the road back to Chautauqua where Shaun was already enjoying a fine hoppy beverage. I began hydrating in the same manner.
Lots of fun and great to meet Shaun.
One of the many things I thought about during the run was that even though all this attention has shifted to Green Mtn over the last year or so, I still like Bear Mtn best. Bear was my first summit in Boulder. The run up (both sides) is gnarly and the views are cleaner from the top. Green's getting a bit crowded with folks anyway.
Four hour fun run planned for Christmas day (tomorrow) if anyone is interested in joining me.
It was obviously light out when we started. I brought along my cool hand held Cateye (bike) light that I used at Bear 100. Shaun peeled off before the cabin to head back for water, so I headed up alone. Amazing what a difference 2.5 weeks of training has. Last time I "ran" Green with Jeff and Aron I was a gasping wreck. Last night felt great and I was able to maintain a running motion to the top, finally having to click on my light to scramble up the true summit boulder. Clicked off my light and took in the views, eastern view of population artificial lights and streams of headlights commuting from work on 36; western view of pale light behind black silhouette mountains.
Clicked the light back on and headed down the front of Green. About two minutes into the descent I noticed the light was much dimmer than normal and realized I never changed the batteries after using it all night at Bear 12 weeks ago. Uh, oh. (Any dim or otherwise underpowered light is now referred to as "Lucho Lighting" based on the little kitchen, yellow-beamed, 1-candle-power light he brought along at Leadville). My run down turned into a race against the dimming light. It was a combination of panic, focusing, and fun. Finally reaching Gregory trailhead, I just played it safe and ran the road back to Chautauqua where Shaun was already enjoying a fine hoppy beverage. I began hydrating in the same manner.
Lots of fun and great to meet Shaun.
One of the many things I thought about during the run was that even though all this attention has shifted to Green Mtn over the last year or so, I still like Bear Mtn best. Bear was my first summit in Boulder. The run up (both sides) is gnarly and the views are cleaner from the top. Green's getting a bit crowded with folks anyway.
Four hour fun run planned for Christmas day (tomorrow) if anyone is interested in joining me.
19 December 2010
Chubby Cheeks Marathon Race Report
 |
| Scott Jaime masks his fear with nervous sips from his baby bottle. |
The tension and apprehension was thick as English stew with British exile, Nick Clark, presiding over the day-long battle. Elite athletes like "The Rabbit (or Young Money)" Dakota Jones, London Marathon Champion Justin Mock, Hardrock 100 mile veteran Glass Stomach Scott Jaime, Rocky Mountain Slam World Renowned Speedster Jon Teisher (Brownie), and North Fork 50k (mile 1-20) Champion Aaron Kennard, and Top Ultrarunner for McDavid's Ultrarunning Team Tim Long (who once completed 217 miles of running in 42 days!), exchanged intimidating glances, occasional crocodile smiles, and several sandbagging phrases in Nick's cozy house awaiting the 9am start time.
 |
| Assembling at the chaotic start line in Nick's driveway, the 9am cream duh la cream athletes are sized up by Nick's son, who was heard commenting on Jaime's calf compression sleeves, "Those stockings look gay". |
 |
| Jaime (hi-may) immediately tries to box me in with hopes of gaining a futile edge. One can see that I've already opened a substantial gap over Dakota and Mock. |
The Chubby Cheeks turnout was actually impressive with 46 folks toeing the line. Nick did a superb job designing and marking the course. I never had to review my map on the marathon course that climbed 6,000 feet on dry, winding single track under blue December sky.
 |
| Standing atop Horsetooth peak early in the run. |
Pete won the 50k distance, I won the marathon distance (with a little luck and just barely), and Justin Mock took the JV race (20-21 miles, I'm not sure).
 |
| The race wasn't chip timed and yet somehow the results came faster than most national events (though Nick's penmanship could use a little refining). |
 |
| Shoes mingling |
 |
| Post-race gathering, beer, food, friends. |
Thanks so much to Nick Clark for working so hard to put this together. It's a great way to end the year.
16 December 2010
Motiv-a-sheeon
Go on get some of this...
Thanks to Matt Hart for all his great videos. He sees the things that inspire.
Thanks to Matt Hart for all his great videos. He sees the things that inspire.
15 December 2010
13 December 2010
Can't Resist
Two posts in one day...
During an email conversation with a friend from CA today about the positives and negatives of blogging and how ultras have changed "BD and AD" (before Dean and after Dean - his term), he was commenting on running gadgets like garmins and ended the last email with:
"i don't track my miles or my workouts. i don't track anything, really. if it doesn't help me adjust my training, why bother. i already know that i don't run enough and would rather spend time with my son than run. i have never been nor will ever be a great runner. i can be a great dad, however. "
BTW, the man has been running ultras for 15 years and has won Miwok 100k...
He'll probably kick my butt for quoting him but luckily he doesn't like or read blogs!
During an email conversation with a friend from CA today about the positives and negatives of blogging and how ultras have changed "BD and AD" (before Dean and after Dean - his term), he was commenting on running gadgets like garmins and ended the last email with:
"i don't track my miles or my workouts. i don't track anything, really. if it doesn't help me adjust my training, why bother. i already know that i don't run enough and would rather spend time with my son than run. i have never been nor will ever be a great runner. i can be a great dad, however. "
BTW, the man has been running ultras for 15 years and has won Miwok 100k...
He'll probably kick my butt for quoting him but luckily he doesn't like or read blogs!
12 December 2010
Is this December?
I have to say that I'm loving this weather. I remember moving here for the first time in early Nov '06 and three days after arriving I awoke to let Pippit outside and I couldn't open the door due to THREE feet of fresh snow that had fallen over night. Over the next three weeks we continued to get pounded with snow storm after storm to the point where I didn't bother trying to identify my truck from the other buried cars parked in the street, let alone drive it. It was the snowiest winter Boulder had seen for a very long time. I was busy with work and spent an extended time in Italy for work beginning early January, so it didn't matter that much.
So here we are near mid December and it's dry and warm. They (whoever 'they' are, some farmer's almanac type folks I imagine) had predicted a drier and warmer winter for us this year. I know things will change eventually but I'll take this motivating weather while I can!
Starting back up on Dec 2 after an extended rest period of 3-4 weeks, I've slowly been getting back into the swing of regular runs. It's crazy how quickly fitness dissolves. A month ago I was racing 62 miles on a Saturday. Last week's total mileage was 50. The "run" up Green with Jeff and Aron on Monday left my quads sore (very sore) for three days afterward. Must have been some settled toxins or something deep in the muscles after the concentrated racing miles I did in the fall because I've never been that sore after going up Green. The rest of the week was fine, getting out for around an hour a couple days and then 15 miles Saturday and 12 miles yesterday.
My appetite during the rest weeks wasn't like it normally is (like a baby elephant), so I stayed pretty lean, though definitely lost muscle mass. This weekend is the Chubby Cheeks 50k in Ft. Collins. Probably not the best idea to jump into a 32 mile run climbing over 7,000 ft. of vert, so I'm thinking of doing the abbreviated version (or Junior Varsity version as they've named it). Mostly, it'll just be nice to get out with the guys who always inspire me throughout the year.
Enjoy the week.
So here we are near mid December and it's dry and warm. They (whoever 'they' are, some farmer's almanac type folks I imagine) had predicted a drier and warmer winter for us this year. I know things will change eventually but I'll take this motivating weather while I can!
Starting back up on Dec 2 after an extended rest period of 3-4 weeks, I've slowly been getting back into the swing of regular runs. It's crazy how quickly fitness dissolves. A month ago I was racing 62 miles on a Saturday. Last week's total mileage was 50. The "run" up Green with Jeff and Aron on Monday left my quads sore (very sore) for three days afterward. Must have been some settled toxins or something deep in the muscles after the concentrated racing miles I did in the fall because I've never been that sore after going up Green. The rest of the week was fine, getting out for around an hour a couple days and then 15 miles Saturday and 12 miles yesterday.
My appetite during the rest weeks wasn't like it normally is (like a baby elephant), so I stayed pretty lean, though definitely lost muscle mass. This weekend is the Chubby Cheeks 50k in Ft. Collins. Probably not the best idea to jump into a 32 mile run climbing over 7,000 ft. of vert, so I'm thinking of doing the abbreviated version (or Junior Varsity version as they've named it). Mostly, it'll just be nice to get out with the guys who always inspire me throughout the year.
Enjoy the week.
07 December 2010
McDavid Press Release
Official press release from McDavid (the part about 217 miles should say, "raced 3 races totaling 217 miles in 42 days". Brownie has already nicely pointed out to me that I must be an animal by averaging 5 miles a day...)
Back to training beginning last week after a nice 3+ week rest. Got out last night for a run up Green Mtn with Jeff and Aron. Chattered nonstop. Great company and beautiful night views from the summit.
At some point I'd like to go over the purpose of this partnership and discuss the specific products I like and use from McDavid for all aspects of training, competing, and recovery.
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