Week ending 6/24:
Mon: 8.0 @ 7:10
Tue: 10.2 @ 6:05 w/ 5x1 mile (90 sec. rec.) in 5:11, 5:11, 5:09, 5:07, and 5:07
Wed: 12.0 @ 6:25
Thu: 6.3 @ 8:02
Fri: 9.8 w/ 6k Uphill Challenge in 33:44 (~2,200+)
Sat: am - 8.0 @ 8:36 (1,000+), pm - 18.3 @ 12:22 (3,010+)
Sun: 2.3 @ 10:18
Total: 74.8 miles
Solid
week for me. Some quicker stuff in the beginning of the week, some
real slow stuff at the end. Tuesday's workout went great. Fastest
stuff I've done in a while, yet none of those repeats felt all out. I
would guess those would be close to 10k pace at this point. I was up in
Squaw over the weekend for Western States. Friday was the Montrail 6k
Uphill Challenge. Basically the first 3.6 miles of the Western States
course. The 8 miles on Saturday was squeezed in between crewing, while
the evening's miles were pacing my buddy from the river at Green Gate to
No Hands Bridge. Sunday's miles were to meet my buddy at Robie Point
and run in the final 1+ mile with him to the track. His goal was sub-20
and we got him in in 19:54:xx. That makes three years in a row of
pacing sub-20 hour runners (19:52, 19:48, and 19:54). One of these
years I will get into the race, but I'm perfectly content doing the
pacing gig in the meantime. Such an amazing event to be a part of.
Week ending 7/1:
Mon: 11.0 @ 8:57 (~2,200+) on trails
Tue: 10.0 @ 6:54 w/ strides
Wed: am - 10.2 @ 6:06 w/ 3x2 (2 min. rec.) in (5:17, 5:18), (5:15, 5:16), and (5:18, 5:15), pm - 4.7 @ 8:23
Thu: am - 6.7 @ 7:22, pm - 5.0 @ 7:26
Fri: 10.3 @ 6:21 w/ 8x1/2 miles (75 sec. rec.) on the road in 2:25, 2:29, 2:26, 2:25, 2:29, 2:22, 2:23, and 2:29
Sat: 17.0 @ 7:28 (~2,650+) on trails
Sun: 6.4 @ 8:03
Total: 81.3 miles
Another
solid week in the books. I'm feeling really strong and confident with
where my fitness level is at right now. Took it easy towards the
beginning after the long pacing gig over the weekend, but I am
extremely happy with the runs on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wednesday's tempo went great. The pace felt a little difficult on the
first set, but seemed to get easier the further I got into the workout.
Friday's splits are sort of all over the place, but I'm still pretty
happy with how it went. Not sure where the 6th and 7th splits came
from, but I'll take them. In my defense, the 8th ended on an uphill.
Saturday's long run was the icing on the cake. The 17 mile loop in
basically an 8.6 mile ascent up a fire road, then 8.4 down on tight,
twisty, turny singletrack on the ridge. I've never felt stronger on
this loop than I did on Saturday. Made the ~2,000 foot ascent in 1:05,
by far the fastest I have ever done it, and never really felt like I
was pushing too hard. The descent wasn't near as fast, and I did take
one fall, but that is definitely the fastest I have ever completed the
loop. Really liking where things are going right now. I have a 5k on
Wednesday morning and see no reason why I shouldn't be running below
15:30.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Week Ending 6/17
Mon: 6.4 @ 7:12
Tue: 6.5 @ 6:06 with progression of 6:59, 6:32, 6:18, 6:01, 5:45, 5:29, and 2:35 for the last 0.5 mile.
Wed: 10.2 @ 6:34
Thu: 6.2 @ 7:15
Fri: 10.2 @ 6:01 w/ 7x3:00 of fartleks. Paces for the 3:00 intervals were 5:09, 5:08, 5:15, 5:20, 5:09, 5:31, and 4:51
Sat: 7.3 @ 7:07
Sun: 15.0 @ 6:20
Total: 61.8 miles
Very good week as I introduced some speed back in for the first time since my marathon. Was really surprised at how easy a lot of the faster stuff felt. It even prompted me to sign up for two 5k's later this summer. It's been over 3 years since my last one, so I think a PR should be all but guaranteed.
Tue: 6.5 @ 6:06 with progression of 6:59, 6:32, 6:18, 6:01, 5:45, 5:29, and 2:35 for the last 0.5 mile.
Wed: 10.2 @ 6:34
Thu: 6.2 @ 7:15
Fri: 10.2 @ 6:01 w/ 7x3:00 of fartleks. Paces for the 3:00 intervals were 5:09, 5:08, 5:15, 5:20, 5:09, 5:31, and 4:51
Sat: 7.3 @ 7:07
Sun: 15.0 @ 6:20
Total: 61.8 miles
Very good week as I introduced some speed back in for the first time since my marathon. Was really surprised at how easy a lot of the faster stuff felt. It even prompted me to sign up for two 5k's later this summer. It's been over 3 years since my last one, so I think a PR should be all but guaranteed.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Week Ending 6/10
Mon: off
Tue: off
Wed: 4.0 @ 7:16
Thu: 5.2 @ 7:29
Fri: 5.0 @ 6:52
Sat: 6.0 @ 6:19
Sun: 10.0 @ 8:59 on trails w/ 2,300 +/-
Total: 30.2 miles
Took it pretty easy for the most part, but the legs have seemed to bounce back rather quickly from Sunday's marathon. They wanted to move on yesterday's run, as I found myself dropping down to 6:20'ish pace almost immediately. Felt great to get back on some trails this morning as well.
I decided to take advantage of the elite entry standard for the SF 2nd Half Marathon, so that is an addition to the race schedule. Not sure if I will race it all out or just use it as a workout towards AFC, but I guess there is plenty of time in between to actually race both. I've got a little time to make that decision though.
Tue: off
Wed: 4.0 @ 7:16
Thu: 5.2 @ 7:29
Fri: 5.0 @ 6:52
Sat: 6.0 @ 6:19
Sun: 10.0 @ 8:59 on trails w/ 2,300 +/-
Total: 30.2 miles
Took it pretty easy for the most part, but the legs have seemed to bounce back rather quickly from Sunday's marathon. They wanted to move on yesterday's run, as I found myself dropping down to 6:20'ish pace almost immediately. Felt great to get back on some trails this morning as well.
I decided to take advantage of the elite entry standard for the SF 2nd Half Marathon, so that is an addition to the race schedule. Not sure if I will race it all out or just use it as a workout towards AFC, but I guess there is plenty of time in between to actually race both. I've got a little time to make that decision though.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Ojai 2 Ocean Race Report
I’ll be the first to admit, this year hasn’t exactly fallen
into place like I was hoping it would.
In fact, it has been pretty subpar by my standards. It started off with a period of
slothness around the holidays at the end of last year. Then it turned to a nasty bout with a
cold that led to more downtime.
Those two instances didn’t exactly leave me feeling in very good shape
for the Houston Half Marathon, where I ran my worst half marathon time in
years. That was sort of a wake up
call for Boston. I managed to pull
it together rather quickly and put in six 100+ mile weeks before my tune up
half in March. I had high hopes of
running a PR there, and was well on pace through 7 miles, but suffered through
some major stomach cramps, in turn dashing any PR hopes. I ran a decent time there, but nowhere
near what I knew I was capable of.
And that is where it all seemed to end. I lost motivation and drive, and then came the shin
splints. I tried to run through
them for a week or so, but it just got to the point where it was
unbearable. I headed out one
morning and made it two blocks before turning around. That was the last I would run for 19 days. In fact, I didn’t do any physical
activity for 19 days, unless of course you consider drinking beer physical.
I did manage to bounce back just in time for the inferno
that was known as Boston. Looking
back I should have just sat that one out to begin with. I ended up getting in two pain free
runs on the Saturday and Sunday before the race, so I decided to give it a
go. That was a very dumb
idea. I thought I managed to scale
back the pace to something doable, but I just wilted away in the heat. I was fat and not prepared for that at
all. I dropped at mile 18 and
decided to save myself for another day. The only problem, which didn’t dawn on
me till about an hour after I dropped, was that I didn’t have a qualifying time
for 2013 Boston. I guess I had to
find another race before the deadline in September.
A friend recommended the Ojai 2 Ocean Marathon and it looked
like the perfect race. It was
unlikely to see the crazy weather that the rest of the country’s marathons have
been experiencing, it was a short drive from home, and of course the 700 foot
net downhill course was very enticing.
I was instantly sold. The
main goal was to get a BQ and potentially compete for the victory, but of
course I wasn’t just going to go out there and dial it in. I had 7 weeks from Boston till race day
to work with. The idea was to
focus all workouts towards what I had hoped to be my goal marathon pace, or at
least +/- 10 seconds within that range, as well as not overdue it on the
mileage. The most I ran in one
week was 82.6 miles. And for the
first time in a while I felt that drive.
I was crushing tempo workouts right and left, but most importantly, I
was looking forward to crushing them.
I hadn’t experienced this in my running since last year. I had gotten to the point where 5:45
pace felt easy on my training runs.
I even dropped the beer for two weeks, which also probably helped to
dropping 12 pounds in 5 weeks. I
knew I had done all I could do given the short amount of time I had to work
with. It was time to put the
training to the test.
It was an uneventful race morning, although the 3am alarm to
catch the 4am bus to the start sort of sucked. But I really did like the idea of being done with a marathon
before 9am. The course runs
exactly as the name suggests, from the mountains in Ojai down to the ocean in
Ventura. It starts with a 10k road
loop (with one gradual two mile climb starting at mile 3), followed by 13 or so
miles of gentle downhill on a bike path, and finishing up with 5 or so flat,
oceanfront miles. The plan was to
run 5:50’ish miles on the first loop, ease into 5:45 pace on the downhill, and
hopefully have enough left in the tank to hammer it home in the final 5-6
miles. After a 10 or so minute
delay we were ready to go.
Road Loop…..
5:44, 5:50, 5:46, 5:51, 5:51, 5:42, 5:40
I managed to pretty much stick to my plan after a fast first
mile. I ended up going out with
two guys from the start, but it turned into just two of us through the first
mile marker. That guy took off
after the first mile marker and I wouldn’t see much of him for the rest of the
morning. I ended up bringing my
iPod with me and turned it on around mile 3. One thing that bothered me was that my breathing didn’t feel
great through the first few miles.
It wasn’t till mile 4 or 5 where I sort of fell into a good rhythm. The uphill section wasn’t bad and once
I got back to flat ground I knew it was time to get to work. I managed to see the guy in first on a
straightaway and he already had a 50-60 second lead on me. He was flying, but I was sticking to my
game plan. I felt really good
heading into the downhill section.
Downhill Bike Path…..
5:44, 5:44, 5:43, 5:41, 5:46, 5:42, 5:42, 5:43, 5:41, 5:41,
5:42, 5:37, 5:41
Not a whole lot of excitement on this section. It was pretty lonely out there minus
the aid station volunteers, a few random spectators here and there, and the
occasional biker passing by. My
main goal was to just stay focused and rattle off the miles one by one. This certainly worked, but there were a
couple moments where I wondered if I was pushing it too hard. The music was also helping me keep my
head in the game. Unfortunately I
don’t wear my iPod on many runs, so my newbie dumbass wasn’t thinking very well
when I was dumping water over my head.
Needless to say it died right before mile 15. And this is where things got a little more interesting. I messed around with the iPod a bit
before finally giving up. Shortly
after that I took a GU as I was heading into a water station. I pointed at the kid I was going to
take it from and right when I was about to grab it he pulled his hand
away. So in a last minute act of
desperation I tried to grab a cup from the next and final kid. And guess what he does…yep, he pulls
the cup back as well. I apologize
now for expressing my anger to those young kids, but between the iPod and that
I wasn’t a happy camper. It was at
this time I began wondering if my race was going to unravel from here. My head was rattled a bit, but the pace
was still coming fairly easy. I
still really needed some water though, as it isn’t exactly the most pleasant
thing to swallow down a GU with no chaser. And it was just my luck to come across a pretty full squeeze
bottle of water sitting on a fence post.
I assumed a half marathoner had probably left it there, so I grabbed it
on the go and started drinking.
Perfect timing! A couple
miles down the path I ran into my friend John and he rode his bike with me for
a half-mile or so. We chatted for
a bit, he told me I was about 90 seconds back, and I told him I was feeling
pretty good, but was sort of bummed because one of my goals was the overall victory. He told me to not give up, that the guy
in first could easily fade. After
a quick swig of Gatorade from him I was on my way, it was time to go into
assassin mode.
Final 10k…..
5:42, 5:46, 5:46, 5:42, 5:40, 5:38, and 1:17 for the final
0.2 miles
The course begins to flatten out here while it heads down to
the oceanfront in Ventura. I am
now beginning to pass all the back of the packer half marathoners, which is
giving me a slight boost. Things
are beginning to hurt, and I feel a slight fade coming on, but I’m doing
everything I can to fight it off.
It was right around mile 21.5 where I was told I am only 60 seconds
back. Holy shit, I just took off
30 seconds in the last few miles!
The last 4 miles of the course are an out and back so I finally have
sight of the first place runner. I
keep telling myself, “don’t let up, Jay, don’t let up now.” That mantra repeats constantly through
my head over the final 4 miles.
I’m reeling and reeling and reeling. He’s coming back to me quick and has no idea I am even
there. He made the turnaround and
probably had about 20-25 seconds on me at this point. I was hoping he wasn’t going to see me because of the palm
trees, but that didn’t work out, and he got his first glimpse of competition
all day. At this point I knew I
was going to catch him, but kept wondering if he had enough to kick it in the
final stretch. The half
marathoners were providing a ton of support at this point, as I was about to
make my move. I was working
extremely hard, but knew I had a big kick in me. The adrenaline was pumping hard. I came up on his left side around mile 25.5 and threw down a
surge that I knew he wouldn’t be able to counter. I wanted to look back, but told myself to keep the pedal to
the floor. I finally gave it a quick
glance over the shoulder about a quarter mile later and realized I had it in
the bag. I did it. I fucking did it.
Official Results: 2:30:16, 5:44 pace, and 1st
overall
Wow! What a
feeling. I’ve won my fair share of
races (although never a marathon), but can honestly say I’ve never done so in
this fashion. It was exactly what
I needed after what has been a pretty dismal year of running so far. And while it wasn’t a PR, it is
arguably the most satisfying race I have ever run. To bounce back from what happened in Boston in this short of
time makes it all that much sweeter.
For the first time in a while I feel healthy, but more importantly, also
have that drive and determination that have been missing for most of this
year. I’m excited at what lies
ahead in 2012. And for the first
time ever I will now turn my training focus to something shorter than the
marathon distance, as I hope to finally get that sub-70 minute (and then some)
half marathon monkey off my back.
After that I will be making my return to the Chicago Marathon in hopes
of another big PR at that distance.
I can already tell it is going to be a good summer.
Thanks for reading!
Quick Recap Of Training Leading Up To O2O Marathon
Week of 4/16-4/22:
Mon: 18 @ 6:30 (Boston DNF)
Tue: Off
Wed: Off
Thu: 5.0 @ 7:34
Fri: 5.0 @ 7:44
Sat: 5.0 @ 7:24
Sun: 5.0 @ 7:09
Total: 28 miles
Week of 7/23-7/29:
Mon: 8.0 @ 6:55 w/ strides
Tue: 6.2 @ 7:11
Wed: 11.3 @ 8:22 on trails w/ ~1,700+
Thu: 8.2 @ 6:56
Fri: am - 6.2 @ 7:19 w/ strides, pm - 4.0 @ 7:32
Sat: 17.4 @ 9:04 on trails w/ ~3,000+
Sun: off
Total: 61.3 miles
Week of 4/30-5/6:
Mon: am - 6.2 @ 7:20, pm - 5.0 @ 7:23
Tue: 11.0 @ 6:35 w/ 3x2 (2 min. easy) in (5:49, :49), (5:55, :52), (5:58, :53) - did this with a friend who has never done much tempo work (ultra guy)
Wed: 8.2 @ 7:05
Thu: 5.0 @ 6:21 - quick progression run from 7:06 /> 5:25
Fri: 5.0 @ 8:12 - trails in Flagstaff
Sat: 32.5 @ 13:29 - Attempted Grand Canyon R2R2R
Sun: off
Total: 72.9 miles
Nothing too crazy in the beginning of the week as I was trying to save my legs for the Grand Canyon. I fully knew heading into it that I was in shape to be running 47 miles and that is pretty much how it played out that day. To make matters worse I must have eaten something bad the night before as my stomach was seriously messed up the entire night before and morning of. I just had no energy and we had already done a good amount of hiking heading (of what I ran pretty much all of last time) into Cottonwood Camp. Pretty much made it 7 miles from the North Rim (right before the major climbing starts) and knew my legs didn't have two huge climbs left in them in 90+ degree heat, so a buddy and I decided to turn back. No regrets since I've done it before, plus I felt really good on the climb out, so I know I made the right decision. Still an epic day of running/hiking through the canyon.
Week of 5/7-5/13:
Mon: off
Tue: am - 6.2 @ 7:19, pm - 4.0 @ 7:29
Wed: 12.4 @ 6:27 w/ last 4 in 5:37, 5:41, 5:41, and 5:28
Thu: am - 14.0 @ 6:32 w/ progression from 7:09 /> 5:45
Fri: 8.5 @ 7:17
Sat: 11.0 @ 6:12 w/ 3x2 (2 min. easy) in (5:44, :39), (5:37, :37), (5:38, :24)
Sun: 21.5 @ 6:52
Total: 81.6 miles
Legs recovered pretty quick from the GC. Was able to get in a good amount of fast running this week, but not hammering anything. Just pretty much trying to keep all the fast stuff within 5-15 seconds of what I hope my marathon pace to be. I've also decided to go with more quality over quantity during these weeks.
Week of 5/14-5/20:
Mon: am - 6.2 @ 7:45, pm - 4.0 @ 7:38
Tue: 10.0 @ 5:58 w/ 7 miles in 39:05 (5:44, :36, :34, :37, :37, :35, :22)
Wed: am - 8.2 @ 7:23, pm - 4.7 @ 7:38
Thu: 8.3 @ 6:28 w/ middle 4 in 22:22 (5:44, :40, :36, :20)
Fri: 14.2 @ 6:43
Sat: 6.2 @ 7:25
Sun: 20.8 @ 6:18 w/ 9 miles up, 2x5 (5 min. easy) in 29:01 (5:51, :51, :46, :47, :46) & 28:45 (5:44, :47, :44, :45, :45), and 1 mile down
Total: 82.6 miles
Everything seemed to click this week. Nailed the 7 miler and felt like I could have easily gone for a few more miles. Thursday's tempo was pretty spontaneous and felt great. But yesterday's workout was the icing on the cake. Paces felt too easy. I was originally thinking of somewhere in the 2:33 range, but yesterday's workout makes me think otherwise. This week leaves me feeling really good with where I am at heading into the final two weeks.
On a different note, I think I have decided to put my focus this summer on my half PR, as I have never specifically trained for anything shorter than a marathon. Thinking about running AFC in August and hopefully finally getting that sub-70 monkey off my back. I will then switch the focus from there over to Chicago with about 6 weeks of marathon specific workouts. If anything, these last 5 weeks of running are going to put me in a good position heading into the summer. Really looking forward to getting back at it after what can be considered a very sub par first half of the year.
Week of 5/21-5/27:
Mon: 6.2 @ 7:32
Tue: 10.0 @ 6:52 w/ strides
Wed: 11.0 @ 6:03 w/ 5x2k @ MP w/ 3:00 fast recoveries...7:12 (6:02 pace rec.), 7:13 (6:08 pace rec.), 7:12 (6:07 pace rec.), 7:10 (6:05 pace rec.), and 7:11
Thu: 7.0 @ 7:33
Fri: 10 @ 6:33 w/ 10x1/4 miles (35 sec. rec.) on the road in 76, 73, 71, 71, 72, 72, 74, 74, 71, 70
Sat: 6.0 @ 7:10 w/ strides
Sun: 11.2 @ 6:17 w/ last 3.2 in 18:18 (5:43 pace)
Total: 61.4 miles
Solid first week of tapering. Wednesday's workout felt great. Friday's 400s hurt. I haven't run that fast in a while. Just a couple more MP miles and I'm good to go for Sunday. Sounds like they are giving out Motorola MotoActv GPS watches to the winners, so just a little added incentive to run faster. Looking forward to getting out there and racing next weekend!
Week of 5/28-6/3:
Mon: 5.1 @ 7:17
Tue: 7.0 @ 6:30 w/ 2 @ 5:46
Wed: 5.0 @ 7:07
Thu: 5.0 @ 6:59 w/ 5x35 seconds hard
Fri: off
Sat: 3.2 @ 7:35 w/ strides
Sun: 26.2 @ 5:44
Total: 51.5 miles
See race report. :-)
Mon: 18 @ 6:30 (Boston DNF)
Tue: Off
Wed: Off
Thu: 5.0 @ 7:34
Fri: 5.0 @ 7:44
Sat: 5.0 @ 7:24
Sun: 5.0 @ 7:09
Total: 28 miles
Week of 7/23-7/29:
Mon: 8.0 @ 6:55 w/ strides
Tue: 6.2 @ 7:11
Wed: 11.3 @ 8:22 on trails w/ ~1,700+
Thu: 8.2 @ 6:56
Fri: am - 6.2 @ 7:19 w/ strides, pm - 4.0 @ 7:32
Sat: 17.4 @ 9:04 on trails w/ ~3,000+
Sun: off
Total: 61.3 miles
Week of 4/30-5/6:
Mon: am - 6.2 @ 7:20, pm - 5.0 @ 7:23
Tue: 11.0 @ 6:35 w/ 3x2 (2 min. easy) in (5:49, :49), (5:55, :52), (5:58, :53) - did this with a friend who has never done much tempo work (ultra guy)
Wed: 8.2 @ 7:05
Thu: 5.0 @ 6:21 - quick progression run from 7:06 /> 5:25
Fri: 5.0 @ 8:12 - trails in Flagstaff
Sat: 32.5 @ 13:29 - Attempted Grand Canyon R2R2R
Sun: off
Total: 72.9 miles
Nothing too crazy in the beginning of the week as I was trying to save my legs for the Grand Canyon. I fully knew heading into it that I was in shape to be running 47 miles and that is pretty much how it played out that day. To make matters worse I must have eaten something bad the night before as my stomach was seriously messed up the entire night before and morning of. I just had no energy and we had already done a good amount of hiking heading (of what I ran pretty much all of last time) into Cottonwood Camp. Pretty much made it 7 miles from the North Rim (right before the major climbing starts) and knew my legs didn't have two huge climbs left in them in 90+ degree heat, so a buddy and I decided to turn back. No regrets since I've done it before, plus I felt really good on the climb out, so I know I made the right decision. Still an epic day of running/hiking through the canyon.
Week of 5/7-5/13:
Mon: off
Tue: am - 6.2 @ 7:19, pm - 4.0 @ 7:29
Wed: 12.4 @ 6:27 w/ last 4 in 5:37, 5:41, 5:41, and 5:28
Thu: am - 14.0 @ 6:32 w/ progression from 7:09 /> 5:45
Fri: 8.5 @ 7:17
Sat: 11.0 @ 6:12 w/ 3x2 (2 min. easy) in (5:44, :39), (5:37, :37), (5:38, :24)
Sun: 21.5 @ 6:52
Total: 81.6 miles
Legs recovered pretty quick from the GC. Was able to get in a good amount of fast running this week, but not hammering anything. Just pretty much trying to keep all the fast stuff within 5-15 seconds of what I hope my marathon pace to be. I've also decided to go with more quality over quantity during these weeks.
Week of 5/14-5/20:
Mon: am - 6.2 @ 7:45, pm - 4.0 @ 7:38
Tue: 10.0 @ 5:58 w/ 7 miles in 39:05 (5:44, :36, :34, :37, :37, :35, :22)
Wed: am - 8.2 @ 7:23, pm - 4.7 @ 7:38
Thu: 8.3 @ 6:28 w/ middle 4 in 22:22 (5:44, :40, :36, :20)
Fri: 14.2 @ 6:43
Sat: 6.2 @ 7:25
Sun: 20.8 @ 6:18 w/ 9 miles up, 2x5 (5 min. easy) in 29:01 (5:51, :51, :46, :47, :46) & 28:45 (5:44, :47, :44, :45, :45), and 1 mile down
Total: 82.6 miles
Everything seemed to click this week. Nailed the 7 miler and felt like I could have easily gone for a few more miles. Thursday's tempo was pretty spontaneous and felt great. But yesterday's workout was the icing on the cake. Paces felt too easy. I was originally thinking of somewhere in the 2:33 range, but yesterday's workout makes me think otherwise. This week leaves me feeling really good with where I am at heading into the final two weeks.
On a different note, I think I have decided to put my focus this summer on my half PR, as I have never specifically trained for anything shorter than a marathon. Thinking about running AFC in August and hopefully finally getting that sub-70 monkey off my back. I will then switch the focus from there over to Chicago with about 6 weeks of marathon specific workouts. If anything, these last 5 weeks of running are going to put me in a good position heading into the summer. Really looking forward to getting back at it after what can be considered a very sub par first half of the year.
Week of 5/21-5/27:
Mon: 6.2 @ 7:32
Tue: 10.0 @ 6:52 w/ strides
Wed: 11.0 @ 6:03 w/ 5x2k @ MP w/ 3:00 fast recoveries...7:12 (6:02 pace rec.), 7:13 (6:08 pace rec.), 7:12 (6:07 pace rec.), 7:10 (6:05 pace rec.), and 7:11
Thu: 7.0 @ 7:33
Fri: 10 @ 6:33 w/ 10x1/4 miles (35 sec. rec.) on the road in 76, 73, 71, 71, 72, 72, 74, 74, 71, 70
Sat: 6.0 @ 7:10 w/ strides
Sun: 11.2 @ 6:17 w/ last 3.2 in 18:18 (5:43 pace)
Total: 61.4 miles
Solid first week of tapering. Wednesday's workout felt great. Friday's 400s hurt. I haven't run that fast in a while. Just a couple more MP miles and I'm good to go for Sunday. Sounds like they are giving out Motorola MotoActv GPS watches to the winners, so just a little added incentive to run faster. Looking forward to getting out there and racing next weekend!
Week of 5/28-6/3:
Mon: 5.1 @ 7:17
Tue: 7.0 @ 6:30 w/ 2 @ 5:46
Wed: 5.0 @ 7:07
Thu: 5.0 @ 6:59 w/ 5x35 seconds hard
Fri: off
Sat: 3.2 @ 7:35 w/ strides
Sun: 26.2 @ 5:44
Total: 51.5 miles
See race report. :-)
The Dust Is Thick In Here
Well, sort of dropped the ball on this blog for the past 8 months. I guess it is now time to revive it, just like I am hoping to revive my running. It has been an up and down year so far, but I feel it is very much moving with upward momentum at the moment. Coming off a strong race last weekend I hope to get back to regularly posting my training here, and who knows, maybe I'll post some non-running related stuff as well.
For the first time in well over a year I finished a race report, so I plan on getting that up soon. I guess I'll post my weeks training up to that race as well.
In the meantime, check out these whack job Russians. I do some crazy running workouts, but these guys take the cake with the insanity level. Talk about some big balls!
For the first time in well over a year I finished a race report, so I plan on getting that up soon. I guess I'll post my weeks training up to that race as well.
In the meantime, check out these whack job Russians. I do some crazy running workouts, but these guys take the cake with the insanity level. Talk about some big balls!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Week Ending 9/18
Mon: off
Tue: 8.2 @ 8:51 (1,550')
Wed: 10.0 @ 8:24 (1,900')
Thu: am - 7.0 @ 7:59 (1,410'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:19 w/ 6 x 20 sec. strides
Fri: 8.2 @ 6:21 w/ 4 x 1 mile (60 sec. rests) in 5:41, 5:37, 5:24, and 5:15
Sat: 13.4 @ 8:41 (2,560')
Sun: 6.0 @ 7:08 w/ 6 x 20 sec. strides
Total: 57.8 miles, 7hrs40min, 7,420'
YTD: 2,865.2 miles
Started off the official taper with a day off after the two hard runs over the weekend. And boy did my legs need it. I felt very sluggish in the beginning of the week. Obviously just residual fatigue from the weekend. Threw in one last speed workout to get some leg turnover in and then my last double digit run of the cycle on Saturday. It's all easy road runs from here on out. Less than a week to go till the big day!
Tue: 8.2 @ 8:51 (1,550')
Wed: 10.0 @ 8:24 (1,900')
Thu: am - 7.0 @ 7:59 (1,410'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:19 w/ 6 x 20 sec. strides
Fri: 8.2 @ 6:21 w/ 4 x 1 mile (60 sec. rests) in 5:41, 5:37, 5:24, and 5:15
Sat: 13.4 @ 8:41 (2,560')
Sun: 6.0 @ 7:08 w/ 6 x 20 sec. strides
Total: 57.8 miles, 7hrs40min, 7,420'
YTD: 2,865.2 miles
Started off the official taper with a day off after the two hard runs over the weekend. And boy did my legs need it. I felt very sluggish in the beginning of the week. Obviously just residual fatigue from the weekend. Threw in one last speed workout to get some leg turnover in and then my last double digit run of the cycle on Saturday. It's all easy road runs from here on out. Less than a week to go till the big day!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Fortnight Ending 9/11
Mon: 6.0 @ 7:13
Tue: 13.3 @ 8:37 (2,800'), pm: 5.7 @ 7:22
Wed: 8.3 @ 8:44 (1,250'), pm: 5.0 @ 8:51 (520')
Thu: 22.0 @ 7:28 (3,800')
Fri: 13.0 @ 8:04 (2,600')
Sat: 30.0 @ 9:03 (5,270')
Sun: 15.0 @ 8:34 (2,390')
Total: 118.3, 16hrs28min, 18,630'
YTD: 2,715.8 miles
Once again the goal was to get in as much climbing as possible and I managed that with a new weekly PR of 18,630'. Last 100+ mile week of the cycle. I'm feeling real good with where my strength and endurance are heading into these final few weeks and will get a chance to see where my speed lies with a half marathon next weekend.
Mon: 6.0 @ 7:03 w/ 10 x 20 sec. strides
Tue: am - 11.5 @ 8:01 (2,320'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:14 w/ 6 x 20 sec. strides
Wed: 14.0 @ 8:06 (2,700')
Thu: 10.0 @ 8:36 (1,930')
Fri: 8.3 @ 8:53 (1,310')
Sat: 21.4 @ 8:05 (4,410')
Sun: 15.4 w/ 1.2 mile w/u, 13.4 @ 5:35, and 0.8 mile c/d
Total: 91.6 miles, 11hrs48min, 12,670'
YTD: 2,807.4 miles
Absolutely crushed this week. I felt invincible on every single run this week with the highlight being the weekend long run/half marathon combo. Saturday's run was done in the Headlands on a chilly, foggy, and super windy morning. The weather didn't stop me though, as I had the best run I've ever had there, not to mention probably the entire cycle (although it was short long run). That long run left me feeling really good about hitting a sub-7 time in Vermont. But that wasn't all. I then followed that run up with the half marathon leg of the Big Kahuna Long Distance Triathlon on Sunday morning. The point was to get some leg turnover going and pump some speed back into my legs before the taper. The plan was to head out at tempo'ish pace and pick it up towards the end. Unfortunately the course was a bit long according to my Garmin, but the splits were...5:37, 5:42, 5:43, 5:42, 5:42, 5:38, 5:36, 5:40, 5:40, 5:24, 5:21, 5:23, 5:19, and 2:22 for the last 0.4 miles, which was good for a 1:14:57. A little disappointed in the course distance as I was really pushing towards the end when I realized I could have possible squeezed in below 1:13, but that thought was quickly dismissed when I hit the mile 12 marker and realized how far I still had to go. Oh yeah, the quarter mile finish on the beach didn't help matters either. Either way, I am more than happy with the result, especially considering I haven't done any speed work since July, and honestly very little in the last 3.5 months. Got to love ending the cycle on a high note. Bring on the taper!
Tue: 13.3 @ 8:37 (2,800'), pm: 5.7 @ 7:22
Wed: 8.3 @ 8:44 (1,250'), pm: 5.0 @ 8:51 (520')
Thu: 22.0 @ 7:28 (3,800')
Fri: 13.0 @ 8:04 (2,600')
Sat: 30.0 @ 9:03 (5,270')
Sun: 15.0 @ 8:34 (2,390')
Total: 118.3, 16hrs28min, 18,630'
YTD: 2,715.8 miles
Once again the goal was to get in as much climbing as possible and I managed that with a new weekly PR of 18,630'. Last 100+ mile week of the cycle. I'm feeling real good with where my strength and endurance are heading into these final few weeks and will get a chance to see where my speed lies with a half marathon next weekend.
Mon: 6.0 @ 7:03 w/ 10 x 20 sec. strides
Tue: am - 11.5 @ 8:01 (2,320'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:14 w/ 6 x 20 sec. strides
Wed: 14.0 @ 8:06 (2,700')
Thu: 10.0 @ 8:36 (1,930')
Fri: 8.3 @ 8:53 (1,310')
Sat: 21.4 @ 8:05 (4,410')
Sun: 15.4 w/ 1.2 mile w/u, 13.4 @ 5:35, and 0.8 mile c/d
Total: 91.6 miles, 11hrs48min, 12,670'
YTD: 2,807.4 miles
Absolutely crushed this week. I felt invincible on every single run this week with the highlight being the weekend long run/half marathon combo. Saturday's run was done in the Headlands on a chilly, foggy, and super windy morning. The weather didn't stop me though, as I had the best run I've ever had there, not to mention probably the entire cycle (although it was short long run). That long run left me feeling really good about hitting a sub-7 time in Vermont. But that wasn't all. I then followed that run up with the half marathon leg of the Big Kahuna Long Distance Triathlon on Sunday morning. The point was to get some leg turnover going and pump some speed back into my legs before the taper. The plan was to head out at tempo'ish pace and pick it up towards the end. Unfortunately the course was a bit long according to my Garmin, but the splits were...5:37, 5:42, 5:43, 5:42, 5:42, 5:38, 5:36, 5:40, 5:40, 5:24, 5:21, 5:23, 5:19, and 2:22 for the last 0.4 miles, which was good for a 1:14:57. A little disappointed in the course distance as I was really pushing towards the end when I realized I could have possible squeezed in below 1:13, but that thought was quickly dismissed when I hit the mile 12 marker and realized how far I still had to go. Oh yeah, the quarter mile finish on the beach didn't help matters either. Either way, I am more than happy with the result, especially considering I haven't done any speed work since July, and honestly very little in the last 3.5 months. Got to love ending the cycle on a high note. Bring on the taper!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Week Ending 8/28
Time to get back to regularly posting my weeks. And what a week it was!
Mon: 10.2 @ 7:15
Tue: am - 12.5 @ 7:48 (2,260'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:16
Wed: am - 6.0 @ 7:21, pm - 6.2 @ 6:53
Thu: am - 5.0 @ 7:32, pm - 21.0 @ 7:37 (4,140')
Fri: 8.0 @ 8:33 (1,340)
Sat: 35.0 @ 8:56 (7,020')
Sun: 15.2 @ 7:57 (2,400')
Total: 123.1 miles, 16hrs27min, 17,160'
Not a whole lot to say about this week. The goal these final few weeks is to get in as much uphill and downhill training as I possibly can, and I think I accomplished that this week. A few of those runs were spent just running up and down the same hill over and over. Saturday's long run in Marin was the best long run I have ever had. I never felt like I was pushing it, I was running up climbs I normally hike, my nutrition was spot on, and I ended up finishing feeling very strong. And I was really shocked at how fast the time flew by. It definitely didn't feel like I was out there for 5+ hours. Complete night and day from what happened in my 50k two weeks ago. In comparison, I was 20 seconds faster per mile on this long run, and I ended up hitting the 50k mark at 4:35 compared to 4:47 two weeks ago. A huge confidence booster heading into these final weeks. Feeling pretty good about a sub-7 in Vermont again.
Mon: 10.2 @ 7:15
Tue: am - 12.5 @ 7:48 (2,260'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:16
Wed: am - 6.0 @ 7:21, pm - 6.2 @ 6:53
Thu: am - 5.0 @ 7:32, pm - 21.0 @ 7:37 (4,140')
Fri: 8.0 @ 8:33 (1,340)
Sat: 35.0 @ 8:56 (7,020')
Sun: 15.2 @ 7:57 (2,400')
Total: 123.1 miles, 16hrs27min, 17,160'
Not a whole lot to say about this week. The goal these final few weeks is to get in as much uphill and downhill training as I possibly can, and I think I accomplished that this week. A few of those runs were spent just running up and down the same hill over and over. Saturday's long run in Marin was the best long run I have ever had. I never felt like I was pushing it, I was running up climbs I normally hike, my nutrition was spot on, and I ended up finishing feeling very strong. And I was really shocked at how fast the time flew by. It definitely didn't feel like I was out there for 5+ hours. Complete night and day from what happened in my 50k two weeks ago. In comparison, I was 20 seconds faster per mile on this long run, and I ended up hitting the 50k mark at 4:35 compared to 4:47 two weeks ago. A huge confidence booster heading into these final weeks. Feeling pretty good about a sub-7 in Vermont again.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Month Ending 8/21
So yeah, a little behind on posting my weekly training. Here are the last 4 weeks of training, with a brief summary of each.
Week Ending 8/21
Mon: rest
Tue: rest
Wed: am - 8.0 @ 7:09, pm - 5.0 @ 6:55
Thu: am - 13.4 @ 8:48 (2,750') w/ 6 x U-Con Trail (~0.75 mile hill w/ ~380' +), pm - 5.0 @ 7:29
Fri: 13.0 @ 7:58 (2,260') w/ 5 x Engelsman Loop Trail (~1.2 mile hill w/ ~460'+)
Sat: 15.0 @ 8:12 (3,140') w/ 7 x Engelsman Loop Trail
Sun: 20.6 @ 7:17 (3,670') w/ various repeat distances up the "Incline" on Aptos Creek Fire Road in Nisene. Run looked like this.....
Total: 80.0 miles, 10hrs24min, 11,820'
YTD: 2,474.4 miles
Not a bad "recovery" week from last Sunday's race. The legs were a little more beat up than I was hoping for, so I took the first couple days of the week off. They felt good enough to get back to some road running on Wednesday, then felt good to go as far as the hills go for Thursday. As you can see from this week's training, long ups and downs will be my main focus for the next three weeks. Sunday's run felt great and I'm sure you will see a lot of use from the "Incline" out of me in the next few weeks.
Week Ending 8/14
Mon: 9.0 @ 12:57 (3,300')- Mount Tallac Summit
Tue: 9.0 @ 9:12 (2,150')
Wed: off
Thu: 10.0 @ 8:57 (2,400')
Fri: off
Sat: 10.0 @ 7:04 (500')
Sun: 31.0 @ 9:15 (5,500') - Stevens Creek 50k
Total: 69.0 miles, 10hrs47min, 13,850'
YTD: 2,394.4 miles
Another sub-par week, but at least I got some good vertical in. Not much to say about this week other than my focus hasn't been 100% since coming back from Alabama. Cap it off with an absolutely horrendous race and you can chalk this week up as one I would rather forget, training-wise.
Week Ending 8/7
Mon: rest
Tue: 6.2 @ 8:07
Wed: am - 12.0 @ 6:10 w/ 2 mile w/u, then 3 (2 min. rest), 2 (1 min. rest), 1@ tempo, and 3.6 mile c/d. Splits were (5:35, 5:35, 5:24), (5:14, 5:20), and (5:06). All done on rolling hills. pm - 5.0 @ 7:32
Thu: am - 18.0 @ 8:45 (2,740'), pm - 6.0 @ 7:33
Fri: am - 6.0 @ 7:21, pm - 5.0 @ 7:25
Sat: 32.5 @ 9:44 (7,570)
Sun: 12.0 @ 8:21 (1,400') w/ last 3 @ 5:40
Total: 102.7 miles, 14hrs24min, 11,710'
YTD: 2,325.4 miles
The week started off slow, but finished on a high note. A great tempo effort followed by a huge midweek long run. Then two nice trail runs on the weekend. Saturday's run at Big Basin whooped my butt with all those hills, but I managed to survive after having a mid-run low point. The pace was nice and easy. It took a while to warm up on Sunday's run, but once I did it felt great. Not sure where those last three miles came from, but it was nice to open up the stride and hammer the last few home. A good bounce back week after last week's disappointing cutback week.
Week Ending 7/31
Mon: 6.2 @ 7:17
Tue: 10.0 @ 7:34
Wed: 10.0 @ 6:43
Thu: 6.2 @ 7:19
Fri: off
Sat: off
Sun: off
Total: 42.4 miles, 5hrs03min, 0'
YTD: 2,222.7 miles
Not much to say about this week other than the Alabama heat and humidity absolutely whooped my butt. I guess I have grown a little too accustomed to the Northern Cali weather. This was supposed to be a cutback week anyways, so I decided that I would value my vacation sleep a little more, and not get up at the asscrack every morning to still suffer and sweat like a pig. I'm really not sure how I used to train here in the summer every day. Man was that brutal! Oh well, big time cutback with no fast stuff, no long run, and definitely no vertical. I needed the break and I got it.
Week Ending 8/21
Mon: rest
Tue: rest
Wed: am - 8.0 @ 7:09, pm - 5.0 @ 6:55
Thu: am - 13.4 @ 8:48 (2,750') w/ 6 x U-Con Trail (~0.75 mile hill w/ ~380' +), pm - 5.0 @ 7:29
Fri: 13.0 @ 7:58 (2,260') w/ 5 x Engelsman Loop Trail (~1.2 mile hill w/ ~460'+)
Sat: 15.0 @ 8:12 (3,140') w/ 7 x Engelsman Loop Trail
Sun: 20.6 @ 7:17 (3,670') w/ various repeat distances up the "Incline" on Aptos Creek Fire Road in Nisene. Run looked like this.....
- 4.25 mile w/u, 0.25 up (56') @ 7:13, 0.25 down @ 6:32, 0.5 up (186') @ 7:46, 0.5 down @ 6:36, 0.75 up (302') @ 7:55, 0.75 down @ 6:17, 1.0 up (488') @ 8:02, 1.0 down @ 6:47, 1.5 up (753') @ 8:53, 1.5 down @ 6:32, 2.0 up (852') @ 9:00, 2.0 down @ 6:28, 1.75 easy, 2.0 @ 5:44, 0.6 mile c/d
Total: 80.0 miles, 10hrs24min, 11,820'
YTD: 2,474.4 miles
Not a bad "recovery" week from last Sunday's race. The legs were a little more beat up than I was hoping for, so I took the first couple days of the week off. They felt good enough to get back to some road running on Wednesday, then felt good to go as far as the hills go for Thursday. As you can see from this week's training, long ups and downs will be my main focus for the next three weeks. Sunday's run felt great and I'm sure you will see a lot of use from the "Incline" out of me in the next few weeks.
Week Ending 8/14
Mon: 9.0 @ 12:57 (3,300')- Mount Tallac Summit
Tue: 9.0 @ 9:12 (2,150')
Wed: off
Thu: 10.0 @ 8:57 (2,400')
Fri: off
Sat: 10.0 @ 7:04 (500')
Sun: 31.0 @ 9:15 (5,500') - Stevens Creek 50k
Total: 69.0 miles, 10hrs47min, 13,850'
YTD: 2,394.4 miles
Another sub-par week, but at least I got some good vertical in. Not much to say about this week other than my focus hasn't been 100% since coming back from Alabama. Cap it off with an absolutely horrendous race and you can chalk this week up as one I would rather forget, training-wise.
Week Ending 8/7
Mon: rest
Tue: 6.2 @ 8:07
Wed: am - 12.0 @ 6:10 w/ 2 mile w/u, then 3 (2 min. rest), 2 (1 min. rest), 1@ tempo, and 3.6 mile c/d. Splits were (5:35, 5:35, 5:24), (5:14, 5:20), and (5:06). All done on rolling hills. pm - 5.0 @ 7:32
Thu: am - 18.0 @ 8:45 (2,740'), pm - 6.0 @ 7:33
Fri: am - 6.0 @ 7:21, pm - 5.0 @ 7:25
Sat: 32.5 @ 9:44 (7,570)
Sun: 12.0 @ 8:21 (1,400') w/ last 3 @ 5:40
 |
| From Saturdays long run...High above Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with the ocean of in the distance. |
 |
| A few miles left on the run, but figured I would get a quick cool off in the creek. |
 | ||
| One mile to go...and a great view of the ocean. |
YTD: 2,325.4 miles
The week started off slow, but finished on a high note. A great tempo effort followed by a huge midweek long run. Then two nice trail runs on the weekend. Saturday's run at Big Basin whooped my butt with all those hills, but I managed to survive after having a mid-run low point. The pace was nice and easy. It took a while to warm up on Sunday's run, but once I did it felt great. Not sure where those last three miles came from, but it was nice to open up the stride and hammer the last few home. A good bounce back week after last week's disappointing cutback week.
Week Ending 7/31
Mon: 6.2 @ 7:17
Tue: 10.0 @ 7:34
Wed: 10.0 @ 6:43
Thu: 6.2 @ 7:19
Fri: off
Sat: off
Sun: off
Total: 42.4 miles, 5hrs03min, 0'
YTD: 2,222.7 miles
Not much to say about this week other than the Alabama heat and humidity absolutely whooped my butt. I guess I have grown a little too accustomed to the Northern Cali weather. This was supposed to be a cutback week anyways, so I decided that I would value my vacation sleep a little more, and not get up at the asscrack every morning to still suffer and sweat like a pig. I'm really not sure how I used to train here in the summer every day. Man was that brutal! Oh well, big time cutback with no fast stuff, no long run, and definitely no vertical. I needed the break and I got it.
Stevens Creek 50k
I would much prefer to just put this race out of my mind (which I've been trying to do), but figure it is my best interest to write up a race report for my records. Once again, I will probably keep this short and sweet, as I think I am finally moving on from what transpired last Sunday.
I ran the Stevens Creek 50k last summer, just a few weeks after my first 50 miler. It is a small event, with typically only 70 or so runners toeing the line because of permit issues. The unique thing about this race is that it is essentially free. The race used to be held in March as a birthday celebration for the race director, Steve Patt, but has since been moved to March because of unsafe trail conditions due to the weather. Steve puts on a wonderful event. Beautiful, well marked course, fully stocked aid stations, great volunteers, and sandwiches and snacks post-race. All he asks is for donations, with all proceeds going towards the Santa Clara Audubon Society. It didn't take much twisting of my arm to sign up for this race for the second year in a row.
Expectations were a little higher heading into this year. Last year I ran won the race with a 4:24 and even struggled mightily in the last 5 or 6 miles. Considering my training has been a lot more focused this year, and I didn't run a 50 miler 3 weeks earlier, I thought that a 4:15 wouldn't be out of the question. Boy was I wrong!
Waking up that morning my stomach just wasn't feeling right. No matter how many times I "emptied" things out, I just never felt "empty". It was race time though, so there wasn't much I could do about it. I just had to hope things worked themselves out in those first few miles. As with most ultra events, it was a low key start. I lead the charge off the initial downhill and held the lead up the first ascent. After that ascent the next 2.5 miles were all downhill to the creek. It was Jean Pommier (Skyline 50k winner the previous weekend), Juan De Oliva (2nd place last year), and myself pushing a pretty aggressive pace on this downhill stretch. A couple 6:30 miles later we were at the creek and on the beginning of a 6 mile, ~1,400 foot ascent on the way to the first aid station. It was in these next few miles when I was already beginning to wonder if it was going to be a long day. Despite the climbing, my breathing just felt way too heavy for this early in the race.
All three of us stayed in a pretty tight pack in the beginning of the climb, with myself bringing up the rear. There were a couple times I backed off, whether it be to choke down a gel, or just gather myself on the climb, but I usually caught up pretty quick. A couple miles into the climb Jean began to create a little gap, while Juan and I ran together all the way into the first aid station at 10.9 miles. Jean entered the aid station with a minute lead, but I was also 3 minutes ahead of last years pace, which what was the most important to me. At this point my stomach was feeling fine. I made quick work of filling my water bottles, grabbed a couple GUs, and got back on the trail just ahead of Juan.
I felt way better on the next section, and thought I ran it a lot better than I did the previous year. I handled most of the climbs pretty well and managed to open up maybe a 50-100 foot gap on Juan. Unfortunately there was one point where I could see Jean way ahead and he was absolutely crushing it. Looking at the splits he managed to open up a 5 minute lead on me through the aid station at mile 19.3. The worst part of this section though was there were some very exposed sections of the trail and the temps were quickly rising. This would begin to play a major factor shortly leaving the next aid station. I came into the aid station 25 seconds ahead of Juan, but we both left together after getting our bottles refilled, a couple glasses GU Brew, and a little watermelon. I was still 3-4 minutes ahead of last years pace which was a good thing considering how much time I gave back in the final miles last year.
Unfortunately my race would take a drastic turn for the worst on the initial climb out of the aid station. My legs just shut down and did not want to climb anymore. I was done for and I fully knew it. I really, really wanted to just call it quits and walk back to the aid station, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. So there isn't much to report for the next 10 miles. I basically hiked all the uphills and slowly ran the downhills. My white flag was raised high. Not sure what happened because I felt really good on the section leading up to the second aid station. It took me just under an hour to go the 5.2 miles to the next aid station. Once there I took my sweet ass time, dumped a bunch of water over my head, enjoyed the cold watermelon, and even took a seat for a little while. I knew the toughest part of the course was ahead and that it was going to take a good effort to get myself to the finish.
A lot of hiking and an hour and twelve minutes later I finally made it. I somehow managed to hold onto 3rd place, but came in 23 minutes slower than the previous year with a 4:47. That would also be a full minute per mile slower than my intended goal pace. What led to this craptastic race you might ask? First off, I know the pace wasn't too aggressive through the first 20 miles. I've had quicker training runs than this, on equally challenging terrain. There was probably a few things that could have led to my breakdown, but I think the worst of it was a general lack of sleep in the week leading up to the race. My sleeping pattern was absolutely f#%ked in the days before the race. On top of that my mind just hasn't been in the game 100% the past few weeks. The weeks leading up to the race haven't been my best, training-wise, and I think I just began to lose focus there for a while. And of course you can't forget about the heat. It just zapped me. I'm just not used to running in that weather, and with most of the last part of the course being exposed, it absolutely fried me.
I know I am in better shape than last year when I ran this race. I know I can run 4:15. Unfortunately last Sunday just wasn't my day. It stung all day Sunday and for a couple days after, but I'm over it now. I was just really hoping for a confidence boosting race heading into the final weeks of training for Vermont, but as a friend said, sometimes it is good to run a little scared. A coupe days recovery seemed to do the trick for my mind and now I will be hammering out 3 more weeks before it is taper time for Vermont. You better believe there will be a boatload of hills included in my training these final weeks. It's crunch time, baby!!
Big props to Jean Pommier for running a heck of a race! He killed it out there last Sunday, running a 4:15 which is actually the 2nd fastest time ever on this course. Jean is on absolute fire right now!
And of course more big props headed towards Steve Patt for putting on another great run on! I hope to be back next year to make it three in a row.
I ran the Stevens Creek 50k last summer, just a few weeks after my first 50 miler. It is a small event, with typically only 70 or so runners toeing the line because of permit issues. The unique thing about this race is that it is essentially free. The race used to be held in March as a birthday celebration for the race director, Steve Patt, but has since been moved to March because of unsafe trail conditions due to the weather. Steve puts on a wonderful event. Beautiful, well marked course, fully stocked aid stations, great volunteers, and sandwiches and snacks post-race. All he asks is for donations, with all proceeds going towards the Santa Clara Audubon Society. It didn't take much twisting of my arm to sign up for this race for the second year in a row.
Expectations were a little higher heading into this year. Last year I ran won the race with a 4:24 and even struggled mightily in the last 5 or 6 miles. Considering my training has been a lot more focused this year, and I didn't run a 50 miler 3 weeks earlier, I thought that a 4:15 wouldn't be out of the question. Boy was I wrong!
Waking up that morning my stomach just wasn't feeling right. No matter how many times I "emptied" things out, I just never felt "empty". It was race time though, so there wasn't much I could do about it. I just had to hope things worked themselves out in those first few miles. As with most ultra events, it was a low key start. I lead the charge off the initial downhill and held the lead up the first ascent. After that ascent the next 2.5 miles were all downhill to the creek. It was Jean Pommier (Skyline 50k winner the previous weekend), Juan De Oliva (2nd place last year), and myself pushing a pretty aggressive pace on this downhill stretch. A couple 6:30 miles later we were at the creek and on the beginning of a 6 mile, ~1,400 foot ascent on the way to the first aid station. It was in these next few miles when I was already beginning to wonder if it was going to be a long day. Despite the climbing, my breathing just felt way too heavy for this early in the race.
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| Coming out of the initial climb around mile 2 (All photos: Peter Hargreaves) |
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| Heading down into the first aid station. |
Unfortunately my race would take a drastic turn for the worst on the initial climb out of the aid station. My legs just shut down and did not want to climb anymore. I was done for and I fully knew it. I really, really wanted to just call it quits and walk back to the aid station, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. So there isn't much to report for the next 10 miles. I basically hiked all the uphills and slowly ran the downhills. My white flag was raised high. Not sure what happened because I felt really good on the section leading up to the second aid station. It took me just under an hour to go the 5.2 miles to the next aid station. Once there I took my sweet ass time, dumped a bunch of water over my head, enjoyed the cold watermelon, and even took a seat for a little while. I knew the toughest part of the course was ahead and that it was going to take a good effort to get myself to the finish.
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I know I am in better shape than last year when I ran this race. I know I can run 4:15. Unfortunately last Sunday just wasn't my day. It stung all day Sunday and for a couple days after, but I'm over it now. I was just really hoping for a confidence boosting race heading into the final weeks of training for Vermont, but as a friend said, sometimes it is good to run a little scared. A coupe days recovery seemed to do the trick for my mind and now I will be hammering out 3 more weeks before it is taper time for Vermont. You better believe there will be a boatload of hills included in my training these final weeks. It's crunch time, baby!!
Big props to Jean Pommier for running a heck of a race! He killed it out there last Sunday, running a 4:15 which is actually the 2nd fastest time ever on this course. Jean is on absolute fire right now!
And of course more big props headed towards Steve Patt for putting on another great run on! I hope to be back next year to make it three in a row.
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| The top 3 men: Jean, Juan, and myself. |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Summiting Mount Tallac
I definitely felt this run was worthy of an entry in the blog, but I am going to keep it short and sweet as far as words go. I will let the pictures do the talking. The minor details...4.5 miles up, ~3,300 vertical, and peaking out at ~9,700 feet. I believe this is the 5th highest peak in the Lake Tahoe area.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Week Ending July 24th
Mon: am - 10.0 @ 8:09 (1,840'), pm - 6.2 @ 8:22 (660') -- Decided to hit the trails twice to start off the week. The morning run was a hard effort with a decent amount of climbing through Pogonip, which included 3 x U-Con Trail hard up, moderate down. The evening was pretty relaxed run on a short loop through Wilder Ranch.
Tue: am - 5.0 @ 7:16, pm - 11.3 w/ 3.55 @ 5:28 (960') -- Easy road run down West Cliff in the morning, then the weekly Aptos Trail Series that evening. Got in a 4 mile warmup, the race, and a 3.75 mile cooldown. Zero competition this week so I figured I would just take it fairly easy. First mile was a 5:34, about 5 seconds slower than last week. Mile 2 was a 5:37, which was a couple seconds faster than last week, so I decided to push a little from here on out. Mile 3 came in at 5:24 and at this point I figured I would be pretty close to last week's time. Finished of the last 0.55 miles in 2:44 and crossed the finish line in 19:21, 4 seconds faster than last week, with my nearest competitor about 3 minutes behind.
Wed: 6.2 @ 7:21 -- My legs were beat after a couple hard days in a row, so I ended up taking the evening off. Just an easy run down West Cliff in the morning.
Thu: am - 16.2 @ 8:50 (3,250'), pm - 4 @ ~7:30 (No Garmin) -- Big day of running. Morning trail run took me from Harvey West through Pogonip into Henry Cowell and back, including about 4 up and downs on the U-Con trail. Solid run with a decent amount of climbing. Left the Garmin behind for the evening run down West Cliff.
Fri: am - 11.2 @ 8:34 (1,320'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:33 -- Easy run through Wilder in the morning followed up bu another easy run down West Cliff. Nothing too exciting to report here.
Sat: 29.6 @ 8:58 (4,750') -- I procrastinated this one for a while, but finally got out in the afternoon. A beautiful day for running that truly reaffirmed why I love the trails so much. I got a great vibe from everyone I crossed paths with on the trails this afternoon. From hiker, to mountain bikers, to runners...it felt great to be out there in the woods sharing the trails with others, even though, technically, I was all alone. Pogonip, Wilder, and Henry Cowell were all hit in today's run. Fueling and hydration were perfect, although my legs were a little fatigued in those last 5 miles. It was tough getting out of the river crossing at mile 26. I could have easily called it quits there and enjoyed the cool river water, but I kept trucking on and finished her off strong. Chocolate milk and ice bath for post-run recovery.
Sun: 10.7 w/ 6.0 @ 5:16 -- See previous blog post.
Total: 115.4 miles, 15hrs44min, 12,780'
YTD: 2,180.3 miles
I couldn't be happier with the way this week turned out. Three really solid hard efforts, two big runs with a good amount of climbing, and a heck of a lot of "other" miles. Really stoked with where my fitness level is at right now. Bodes well with 9 weeks to go for Vermont. Much needed cutback week coming up this week. I will actually be heading home for some family time, so there will be no sort of climbing whatsoever. I will still try and get in a couple hard efforts though, but the mileage will definitely be reduced. Hopefully I don't melt in the heat.
Tue: am - 5.0 @ 7:16, pm - 11.3 w/ 3.55 @ 5:28 (960') -- Easy road run down West Cliff in the morning, then the weekly Aptos Trail Series that evening. Got in a 4 mile warmup, the race, and a 3.75 mile cooldown. Zero competition this week so I figured I would just take it fairly easy. First mile was a 5:34, about 5 seconds slower than last week. Mile 2 was a 5:37, which was a couple seconds faster than last week, so I decided to push a little from here on out. Mile 3 came in at 5:24 and at this point I figured I would be pretty close to last week's time. Finished of the last 0.55 miles in 2:44 and crossed the finish line in 19:21, 4 seconds faster than last week, with my nearest competitor about 3 minutes behind.
Wed: 6.2 @ 7:21 -- My legs were beat after a couple hard days in a row, so I ended up taking the evening off. Just an easy run down West Cliff in the morning.
Thu: am - 16.2 @ 8:50 (3,250'), pm - 4 @ ~7:30 (No Garmin) -- Big day of running. Morning trail run took me from Harvey West through Pogonip into Henry Cowell and back, including about 4 up and downs on the U-Con trail. Solid run with a decent amount of climbing. Left the Garmin behind for the evening run down West Cliff.
Fri: am - 11.2 @ 8:34 (1,320'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:33 -- Easy run through Wilder in the morning followed up bu another easy run down West Cliff. Nothing too exciting to report here.
Sat: 29.6 @ 8:58 (4,750') -- I procrastinated this one for a while, but finally got out in the afternoon. A beautiful day for running that truly reaffirmed why I love the trails so much. I got a great vibe from everyone I crossed paths with on the trails this afternoon. From hiker, to mountain bikers, to runners...it felt great to be out there in the woods sharing the trails with others, even though, technically, I was all alone. Pogonip, Wilder, and Henry Cowell were all hit in today's run. Fueling and hydration were perfect, although my legs were a little fatigued in those last 5 miles. It was tough getting out of the river crossing at mile 26. I could have easily called it quits there and enjoyed the cool river water, but I kept trucking on and finished her off strong. Chocolate milk and ice bath for post-run recovery.
Sun: 10.7 w/ 6.0 @ 5:16 -- See previous blog post.
Total: 115.4 miles, 15hrs44min, 12,780'
YTD: 2,180.3 miles
I couldn't be happier with the way this week turned out. Three really solid hard efforts, two big runs with a good amount of climbing, and a heck of a lot of "other" miles. Really stoked with where my fitness level is at right now. Bodes well with 9 weeks to go for Vermont. Much needed cutback week coming up this week. I will actually be heading home for some family time, so there will be no sort of climbing whatsoever. I will still try and get in a couple hard efforts though, but the mileage will definitely be reduced. Hopefully I don't melt in the heat.
Wharf to Wharf
The Wharf to Wharf race, labeled as "the best little road race in California", has been on my radar since moving to Santa Cruz. It is a 6 mile race that runs from Santa Cruz's wharf to the wharf in Capitola, hugging the seaside for pretty much the entire course. It sells out the 15,000 slots months in advance and always attracts a very competitive field. Unfortunately last year I wasn't able to run as I had just ran my first 50 miler the weekend before. While it really didn't fit into my plans again this year, I had received a comped entry for running on the Santa Cruz Track Club team in Boston back in April, so I figured I would at least go out and give it a tempo effort. There hasn't been a whole lot of road running going on on my end lately, and the speed work has been pretty minimal, so I honestly had no idea what to expect. To make things a little more interesting, the race fell on the tail end of a 116 mile week, including a 29.6 mile trail run the previous day. This obviously kept my expectations pretty low, but the main goal was to just finish in the top 100, which gets you the free Top 100 jacket. I figured that should be easily attainable.
Like I said, yesterday was another long, 4 hour 25 minute trail effort with a decent amount of climbing. I knew my legs would be dead for the race, so I decided to take my first ice bath in a good year and half to hopefully alleviate some of the fatigue. It seemed to do some good, but I still knew that it was going to be tough to get the legs moving fast. On the warmup on the way down to the start I was honestly thinking that I would run 5:30's, maybe even 5:40's. After a slow 2.3 mile warmup with a few strides thrown in, I headed to the front of the masses. This was the first year they have gone with chip timing and the start was an absolute clusterf#ck. They just jammed everyone in there like a bunch of sardines, and as usual, most of the people that were up there didn't belong there. A couple minutes later the shotgun went off and my competitive side took over.
Mile 1 - 5:18 -- Lots of bobbing and weaving, and it took a good half mile to find some room, but it quickly thinned out shortly after. I was quite shocked at the amount of people that went out at sub-5:20 pace. I started off at 5:30 or so in the traffic and there were a ton of people in front of me.
Mile 2 - 5:18 -- I am thinking to myself that this is way too fast and that I am probably going to pay for it later, but I am actually really surprised at how easy the pace felt, so I am rolling with it.
Mile 3 - 5:21 -- I can't believe how good I am feeling. Breathing is normal and everything is under control. Hit the halfway mark and begin to realize I am actually going to have a really good race.
Mile 4 - 5:16 -- Latched on with another runner in this mile and we would end up running together all the way to the finish. We never spoke a single word to each other, but you could feel that mental energy flowing, as we pushed each other hard for the last 3 miles.
Mile 5 - 5:11 -- We are passing a ton of people at this point and the heavy breathing finally set in in this mile. I honestly can't remember the last time I threw down a mile this fast.
Mile 6 - 5:12 -- Words were finally exchanged with one last mile to go and all that was said was lets get this sub-32. We were easily running sub-5 pace for the first half mile. Unfortunately I faded a bit in the last half mile and couldn't keep up, but was still able to finish off the last quarter mile pretty strong.
Last .03 in 0:08
Official Results: 31:48, 5:18 pace, 29th overall, 2nd in AG
Garmin Stats: 31:47, 5:16 pace, 6.03 miles
Ummmmm, so yeah, that sort of came out of nowhere. I guess I am in a little better shape than I thought I was. And obviously all these hills are paying off big time. This is a huge confidence booster. On fresh legs, on a true 10k course, I would put money on a mid-31 finish time. Of course all that doesn't really matter for my upcoming 50 miler, but it is good to know that the speed is still hanging around. Great day, great race, great result. I am a happy camper.
Like I said, yesterday was another long, 4 hour 25 minute trail effort with a decent amount of climbing. I knew my legs would be dead for the race, so I decided to take my first ice bath in a good year and half to hopefully alleviate some of the fatigue. It seemed to do some good, but I still knew that it was going to be tough to get the legs moving fast. On the warmup on the way down to the start I was honestly thinking that I would run 5:30's, maybe even 5:40's. After a slow 2.3 mile warmup with a few strides thrown in, I headed to the front of the masses. This was the first year they have gone with chip timing and the start was an absolute clusterf#ck. They just jammed everyone in there like a bunch of sardines, and as usual, most of the people that were up there didn't belong there. A couple minutes later the shotgun went off and my competitive side took over.
Mile 1 - 5:18 -- Lots of bobbing and weaving, and it took a good half mile to find some room, but it quickly thinned out shortly after. I was quite shocked at the amount of people that went out at sub-5:20 pace. I started off at 5:30 or so in the traffic and there were a ton of people in front of me.
Mile 2 - 5:18 -- I am thinking to myself that this is way too fast and that I am probably going to pay for it later, but I am actually really surprised at how easy the pace felt, so I am rolling with it.
Mile 3 - 5:21 -- I can't believe how good I am feeling. Breathing is normal and everything is under control. Hit the halfway mark and begin to realize I am actually going to have a really good race.
Mile 4 - 5:16 -- Latched on with another runner in this mile and we would end up running together all the way to the finish. We never spoke a single word to each other, but you could feel that mental energy flowing, as we pushed each other hard for the last 3 miles.
Mile 5 - 5:11 -- We are passing a ton of people at this point and the heavy breathing finally set in in this mile. I honestly can't remember the last time I threw down a mile this fast.
Mile 6 - 5:12 -- Words were finally exchanged with one last mile to go and all that was said was lets get this sub-32. We were easily running sub-5 pace for the first half mile. Unfortunately I faded a bit in the last half mile and couldn't keep up, but was still able to finish off the last quarter mile pretty strong.
Last .03 in 0:08
Official Results: 31:48, 5:18 pace, 29th overall, 2nd in AG
Garmin Stats: 31:47, 5:16 pace, 6.03 miles
Ummmmm, so yeah, that sort of came out of nowhere. I guess I am in a little better shape than I thought I was. And obviously all these hills are paying off big time. This is a huge confidence booster. On fresh legs, on a true 10k course, I would put money on a mid-31 finish time. Of course all that doesn't really matter for my upcoming 50 miler, but it is good to know that the speed is still hanging around. Great day, great race, great result. I am a happy camper.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Week Ending July 17th
Mon: 11.8 @ 7:20 -- This was just meant to be an easy 7 miler, but I ran into a buddy around mile 5 and next thing I know it turned into close to 12. Legs felt good, so I just went with it.
Tue: am - 5.0 @ 7:22, pm - 9.4 w/ 3.55 @ 5:28 -- Just an easy run in the morning down West Cliff, then headed over to Nisene Marks for the Aptos Creek Trail run in the evening, a weekly 3.55 mile race that I just found out about. Not much of a trail run, as most of the race is on the fire road leading into Nisene, then 0.5 mile on some single track. The plan was just to head out and run it as a tempo effort, which I will probably do as many Tuesday nights as possible. The splits were 5:29, 5:39 (single track mile), 5:29, and 2:47 (5:08 pace) for the last 0.55 miles. Solid effort that left me feeling like I am in better shape than I thought. The turnout wasn't large, so I ended up winning by 20 seconds. Run included 1.3 mile w/u and 4.55 mile c/d.
Wed: am - 5.0 @ 7:24, pm - 7.2 @ 8:46 (1350') --Easy run in the morning down West Cliff, then I managed to squeeze a quick trail run in just as the sun was setting...Lookout > Pogonip Creek Nature > Brayshaw > Spring > Rincon Connector > Spring > Brayshaw > Pogonip Creek Nature > Lookout. I quickly learned that Pogonip is not the place you want to be running at near dusk...all the homeless people were out making their beds for the night.
Thu: am - 13.0 @ 8:37 (4,270'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:29 -- Ummmm, so I think I found my new favorite, close to home training route this morning. I knew about all the trails, but never put them all together because of a river crossing. Well, I took the waist high crossing down on this day. The route was Lookout > Spring > Old Spring > Rincon > Rincon Connector > Rincon Fire > Big Rock Hole > Ridge Fire > Pine > Eagle Creek > River > Rincon Fire > Big Rock Hole > Rincon Fire > Rincon Connector > Spring > Lookout. I'm a little skeptical on the vertical, but it was very hilly regardless. When I was out there I was guessing 3,000' or so, so I was a little shocked to see 4,200'. I always thought Garmin Connect seemed pretty accurate, so not sure what to think. Either way, great route and run. Another easy run down West Cliff to finish off the day.
Fri: am - 5.0 @ 7:28, pm - 7.0 @ 7:18 -- Another couple easy runs up and down West Cliff. Nothing too exciting to report here.
Sat: 30.6 @ 9:18 (6,730') -- Tennesee Valley > Miwok > Miwok Cutoff > Miwok > Deer Creek Fire > Dipsea > Coastal Fire > Old Mine > Matt Davis > Highway 1 > Dipsea > Steep Ravine > Old Mine > Coastal Fire > Coast View > Heather Cutoff > Muir Woods Road > Coastal > Miwok > Old Springs > Tennesse Valley. Ahhhhh, my favorite place to run. Didn't get the epic views on this day due to the cool, rainy, wet, and foggy weather (typical July SF weather), but it was still an epic run regardless. Lots of ass kicking hills. Nutrition was great and I felt a ton better this go round than the last time I did a similar, albeit longer loop. I really wish I lived a lot closer to Marin.
Sun: 10.0 @ 8:48 (1,240') -- Wilder Ridge > Zane Grey > Wilder Ridge > Enchanted Loop > Eucalyptus Loop > Old Cabin > Wild Boar > Engelsmans. Just an easy trail run to finish off a great week of running. Legs felt really good coming off the long run yesterday. Things are really coming together quickly.
Total: 109 miles, 14hrs57min, 13,590'
YTD: 2,064.9 miles
First 100 mile week in a long time, easily the most time I've spent running in one week, and probably the most vertical I've ever accumulated as well. Still a little too much road running though. I plan to hit the trails a little more this week, as well as add in another workout. Finished off the week with a nice steak, a few IPA's, some ice cream, and a little Varsity Blues. Perfect way to end it.
Tue: am - 5.0 @ 7:22, pm - 9.4 w/ 3.55 @ 5:28 -- Just an easy run in the morning down West Cliff, then headed over to Nisene Marks for the Aptos Creek Trail run in the evening, a weekly 3.55 mile race that I just found out about. Not much of a trail run, as most of the race is on the fire road leading into Nisene, then 0.5 mile on some single track. The plan was just to head out and run it as a tempo effort, which I will probably do as many Tuesday nights as possible. The splits were 5:29, 5:39 (single track mile), 5:29, and 2:47 (5:08 pace) for the last 0.55 miles. Solid effort that left me feeling like I am in better shape than I thought. The turnout wasn't large, so I ended up winning by 20 seconds. Run included 1.3 mile w/u and 4.55 mile c/d.
Wed: am - 5.0 @ 7:24, pm - 7.2 @ 8:46 (1350') --Easy run in the morning down West Cliff, then I managed to squeeze a quick trail run in just as the sun was setting...Lookout > Pogonip Creek Nature > Brayshaw > Spring > Rincon Connector > Spring > Brayshaw > Pogonip Creek Nature > Lookout. I quickly learned that Pogonip is not the place you want to be running at near dusk...all the homeless people were out making their beds for the night.
Thu: am - 13.0 @ 8:37 (4,270'), pm - 5.0 @ 7:29 -- Ummmm, so I think I found my new favorite, close to home training route this morning. I knew about all the trails, but never put them all together because of a river crossing. Well, I took the waist high crossing down on this day. The route was Lookout > Spring > Old Spring > Rincon > Rincon Connector > Rincon Fire > Big Rock Hole > Ridge Fire > Pine > Eagle Creek > River > Rincon Fire > Big Rock Hole > Rincon Fire > Rincon Connector > Spring > Lookout. I'm a little skeptical on the vertical, but it was very hilly regardless. When I was out there I was guessing 3,000' or so, so I was a little shocked to see 4,200'. I always thought Garmin Connect seemed pretty accurate, so not sure what to think. Either way, great route and run. Another easy run down West Cliff to finish off the day.
Fri: am - 5.0 @ 7:28, pm - 7.0 @ 7:18 -- Another couple easy runs up and down West Cliff. Nothing too exciting to report here.
Sat: 30.6 @ 9:18 (6,730') -- Tennesee Valley > Miwok > Miwok Cutoff > Miwok > Deer Creek Fire > Dipsea > Coastal Fire > Old Mine > Matt Davis > Highway 1 > Dipsea > Steep Ravine > Old Mine > Coastal Fire > Coast View > Heather Cutoff > Muir Woods Road > Coastal > Miwok > Old Springs > Tennesse Valley. Ahhhhh, my favorite place to run. Didn't get the epic views on this day due to the cool, rainy, wet, and foggy weather (typical July SF weather), but it was still an epic run regardless. Lots of ass kicking hills. Nutrition was great and I felt a ton better this go round than the last time I did a similar, albeit longer loop. I really wish I lived a lot closer to Marin.
Sun: 10.0 @ 8:48 (1,240') -- Wilder Ridge > Zane Grey > Wilder Ridge > Enchanted Loop > Eucalyptus Loop > Old Cabin > Wild Boar > Engelsmans. Just an easy trail run to finish off a great week of running. Legs felt really good coming off the long run yesterday. Things are really coming together quickly.
Total: 109 miles, 14hrs57min, 13,590'
YTD: 2,064.9 miles
First 100 mile week in a long time, easily the most time I've spent running in one week, and probably the most vertical I've ever accumulated as well. Still a little too much road running though. I plan to hit the trails a little more this week, as well as add in another workout. Finished off the week with a nice steak, a few IPA's, some ice cream, and a little Varsity Blues. Perfect way to end it.
A few videos from Saturday's run up Steep Ravine....
Coming down Coastal Trail towards Pirates Cove...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Getting Back At It
Things are progressing well. The mileage is back up there after 90+ last week. I've even managed to get a little speed back in the legs. Heck, I was out for an easy 7 yesterday evening when I ran into a buddy just a couple miles from home. We decided to run a couple miles together on my way home. Well, those couple miles turned into 7. Obviously a good sign that my legs are handling the increased mileage nicely.
Back when I was in Vermont for the marathon in May I was able to join my good friend Troy for the weekly Catamount 5k Trail Series the Tuesday after the marathon. I loved every single bit of it, and yearned for something like that back here in Santa Cruz. Turns out I got my wish. I was recently directed to the Nisene Marks Summer Trail Series. While it doesn't come close to what Catamount has to offer in course variation, competitiveness, and organization, I definitely can't complain because it is free. Unfortunately I would hardly call it a trail run though. The majority of the race is on the fire road, with a half mile portion on some nice single track (I was told last year it was mostly single track, but too many people were having troubles getting lost, so they changed it this year). And the turnout could be a little greater. But I can't complain, because it isn't costing me anything. I see it as a good way to get a nice quick little workout in every week.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect competition wise. I quickly pointed out my main two competitors. The three of us went out at about 5:20 pace and I fell into 3rd place about a quarter mile in. The pace felt pretty effortless and I hit the first mile in 5:29. It didn't take very long for me to start reeling in the two runners in front of me. I passed the second place guy shortly after the first mile. Not a minute later I made my move on the leader and noticed we was breathing quite heavy, while I was completely under control. He stayed on my heels for a bit, but right after we rounded the trees and turned onto the single track I really turned it on. I put a big gap on him and knew I had this one in the bag. Came out of the single track with a nice lead and hit mile two in 5:39. From there it was all cruise control. Mile 3 was 5:29, with the final 0.55 coming in at a 5:08 pace, and a 19:25 first place finish. All in all a solid effort, but no where near an all out effort. Pretty happy with the way this turned out, as my breathing was under control and the pace felt pretty comfortable the entire way. I guess I am in better shape than I thought. I will definitely be back next week to defend my title.
Oh yeah, almost forgot...I signed up for the Vermont 50 this evening. So there it is folks, the next big one on the calendar. I will lay it all out there now and say that the main goal of this race is to secure an automatic entry for Western States next year. That will require a top two overall finish. I definitely have my work cut out for myself these next 10 weeks, but I am fully up for the task. I felt that switch finally click on yesterday's run. The determination and focus is back. I am ready to crush this thing.
Back when I was in Vermont for the marathon in May I was able to join my good friend Troy for the weekly Catamount 5k Trail Series the Tuesday after the marathon. I loved every single bit of it, and yearned for something like that back here in Santa Cruz. Turns out I got my wish. I was recently directed to the Nisene Marks Summer Trail Series. While it doesn't come close to what Catamount has to offer in course variation, competitiveness, and organization, I definitely can't complain because it is free. Unfortunately I would hardly call it a trail run though. The majority of the race is on the fire road, with a half mile portion on some nice single track (I was told last year it was mostly single track, but too many people were having troubles getting lost, so they changed it this year). And the turnout could be a little greater. But I can't complain, because it isn't costing me anything. I see it as a good way to get a nice quick little workout in every week.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect competition wise. I quickly pointed out my main two competitors. The three of us went out at about 5:20 pace and I fell into 3rd place about a quarter mile in. The pace felt pretty effortless and I hit the first mile in 5:29. It didn't take very long for me to start reeling in the two runners in front of me. I passed the second place guy shortly after the first mile. Not a minute later I made my move on the leader and noticed we was breathing quite heavy, while I was completely under control. He stayed on my heels for a bit, but right after we rounded the trees and turned onto the single track I really turned it on. I put a big gap on him and knew I had this one in the bag. Came out of the single track with a nice lead and hit mile two in 5:39. From there it was all cruise control. Mile 3 was 5:29, with the final 0.55 coming in at a 5:08 pace, and a 19:25 first place finish. All in all a solid effort, but no where near an all out effort. Pretty happy with the way this turned out, as my breathing was under control and the pace felt pretty comfortable the entire way. I guess I am in better shape than I thought. I will definitely be back next week to defend my title.
Oh yeah, almost forgot...I signed up for the Vermont 50 this evening. So there it is folks, the next big one on the calendar. I will lay it all out there now and say that the main goal of this race is to secure an automatic entry for Western States next year. That will require a top two overall finish. I definitely have my work cut out for myself these next 10 weeks, but I am fully up for the task. I felt that switch finally click on yesterday's run. The determination and focus is back. I am ready to crush this thing.
Monday, July 11, 2011
7-11
As most of you know, the date today is July 11th, or 7-11. What some of you may not know is that this date means free Slurpees at 7-11 in celebration of their birthday. Nothing better than an ice cold Slurpee after a long run on a hot summers day. I know I will be hitting my local 7-11 up for my free Slurpee later today. I suggest you do the same.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Week Ending July 10th
Mon: off -- Celebrated my independence by not running.
Tue: 14.3 @ 7:56 (1,333') -- Engelsmans > Wild Boar > Old Cabin > Eucalyptus > Enchanted > Baldwin Single Track > Ohlone Bluff. First run back in 8 days. Felt ridiculously out of shape. Took about six miles to actually feel decent.
Wed: am - 5.0 @ No Garmin, pm - 7.0 @ 7:21 -- Just a couple of easy runs on the roads. Went "naked" on a few runs this week. trying not to get too caught up in pace on my easy days.
Thu: 11.0 @ 6:34 -- Run included 7 x 3:00 fartleks. This was actually probably the second or third workout I've done since Boston, and it went surprisingly well. Paces ranged from 5:05 to 5:39 on the fartlek portions.
Fri: am - 5.0 @ No Garmin, pm - 8.2 @ 7:16 -- Another double of just easy runs. Nothing much to say about these runs, just trying to get the mileage up there.
Sat: 17.0 @ No Garmin (~2,800') -- Aptos Creek > Split Stuff > Aptos Creek > West Ridge. Another Garmin-less run. Took it nice and easy. A lot slower than I would normally run this loop.
Sun: 27.4 @ 9:00 (4,320') -- Aptos Creek Fire > Split Stuff > Aptos Creek Fire > Aptos Creek Trail > Big Slide > Aptos Creek Fire > Ridge > Aptos Creek Fire > West Ridge > Aptos Creek Fire. This run really kicked my ass on the tail end of the big week. Funny, in the many, many miles I've run in this park I've never been on the Aptos Creek Trail because of a sign saying the trail was closed past the earthquake epicenter. Ended up talking to some people hiking out and they told me that someone had rebuilt that part of the trail that was washed out, but you just had to use some ropes to climb some steep sections. Wish I had known about this route before, because there was some ass kicking vert (at least for Nisene) that way. My legs were definitely feeling it about 20 miles in. Took a nice fall around mile 21. A little blood and a lot of dirt, but came out of it pretty unscathed. Ran out of water in the last couple miles, so definitely felt good to get back to the cooler in the truck. All in all a solid run capping off a solid week after no running the previous week.
Total: 94.9 miles (9,250' - only tracking the trail mileage)
YTD: 1,955.9 miles
A few pics from today, but there was more running than picture taking.....
Tue: 14.3 @ 7:56 (1,333') -- Engelsmans > Wild Boar > Old Cabin > Eucalyptus > Enchanted > Baldwin Single Track > Ohlone Bluff. First run back in 8 days. Felt ridiculously out of shape. Took about six miles to actually feel decent.
Wed: am - 5.0 @ No Garmin, pm - 7.0 @ 7:21 -- Just a couple of easy runs on the roads. Went "naked" on a few runs this week. trying not to get too caught up in pace on my easy days.
Thu: 11.0 @ 6:34 -- Run included 7 x 3:00 fartleks. This was actually probably the second or third workout I've done since Boston, and it went surprisingly well. Paces ranged from 5:05 to 5:39 on the fartlek portions.
Fri: am - 5.0 @ No Garmin, pm - 8.2 @ 7:16 -- Another double of just easy runs. Nothing much to say about these runs, just trying to get the mileage up there.
Sat: 17.0 @ No Garmin (~2,800') -- Aptos Creek > Split Stuff > Aptos Creek > West Ridge. Another Garmin-less run. Took it nice and easy. A lot slower than I would normally run this loop.
Sun: 27.4 @ 9:00 (4,320') -- Aptos Creek Fire > Split Stuff > Aptos Creek Fire > Aptos Creek Trail > Big Slide > Aptos Creek Fire > Ridge > Aptos Creek Fire > West Ridge > Aptos Creek Fire. This run really kicked my ass on the tail end of the big week. Funny, in the many, many miles I've run in this park I've never been on the Aptos Creek Trail because of a sign saying the trail was closed past the earthquake epicenter. Ended up talking to some people hiking out and they told me that someone had rebuilt that part of the trail that was washed out, but you just had to use some ropes to climb some steep sections. Wish I had known about this route before, because there was some ass kicking vert (at least for Nisene) that way. My legs were definitely feeling it about 20 miles in. Took a nice fall around mile 21. A little blood and a lot of dirt, but came out of it pretty unscathed. Ran out of water in the last couple miles, so definitely felt good to get back to the cooler in the truck. All in all a solid run capping off a solid week after no running the previous week.
Total: 94.9 miles (9,250' - only tracking the trail mileage)
YTD: 1,955.9 miles
A few pics from today, but there was more running than picture taking.....
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| The sign says it all. I'm glad I wasn't trail running out here on that day in '89. |
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| You know it is steep when there are ropes to help you up. |
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| So green, so lush. |
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| This guy definitely seemed lost. |
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| Post-run pic. Desperately in need of a shower. |
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Hardrock 100
The next big 100 mile endurance run is about to kick off here in 6 hours or so. The Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, arguably the most difficult 100 mile course in the country (maybe in the world), is a loop course that runs through Southwestern Colorado's San Juan Mountains. For those of you that don't know, this is the epitome of endurance. The course contains 33,992 +/- of elevation. Yes, that is 67,894 feet total! Of course all that ascent and descent takes place at an average elevation of 11,000 feet as well, with the high point being 14,048 feet (Handies Peak). All in all it crosses 13 major passes through in the 12,000' to 13,000' range, starting in Silverton and traveling through Telluride, Ouray, and the ghost town of Sherman, and of course finishing in Silverton. Each year they change the direction of the course to run opposite of the previous year. According to the website, "the run is a salute to the toughness and perseverance of the hardrock miners who lived and worked in the area."
Just to get a sheer idea of how difficult this course is, the cutoff time is 48 hours. Yes, a full 18 hours longer than Western States. In fact, the average finish time is 41 hours, which is also longer than most 100 mile cutoff times. The race begins at 6am, so anyone over 40 hours will see the sun set twice before making it back to Silverton. Sub-30 is considered a very solid time on this beast, while only one runner has ever broken the 24 hour barrier. Course records are held by Erik Skaggs, 23:23 in 2008, and Diane Finkel, 27:18 in 2009. The funny thing about this race is that there is no finish line to signify the completion of the race. Instead runners must kiss the Hardrock, a large stone with a painted picture of a ram's head on it.
This year is shaping up to be a great race up front as well. Considering the lottery to get in, this is easily one of the best fields assembled for this event. There could be 10-15 potential runners that could break the 30 hour mark if everything goes right tomorrow. Five time champ Karl Meltzer will be tough to beat with his knowledge of the course, but Dakota Jones has youth and speed on his side. Not sure how well recovered Nick Clark is, but I also wouldn't put it past him to pull off an impressive double so close to Western States. Of course there is also Chorier, Grant, Hart, Campbell, Darcy Africa, Finkel, Callahan, and a few others that are more than capable of pulling out the victory.
As you can see this race has sort of piqued my interest since I first heard about it. Funny thing is that it is so damn intimidating, yet so damn intriguing. I definitely need to get that first 100 under my belt before even fathom attempting something like this though, but it is definitely on the list. Although I have absolutely no idea how you train for something like this if you don't live at elevation. I guess that is all part of the challenge though.
These videos will give you a solid idea of how crazy difficult this course is, what kind of challenges the runners will encounter tomorrow, and of course the insane beauty that will engulf each and every one of them on their 100 mile journey....
For now I will be enjoying the race from behind my computer screen. Look forward to following the wonderful coverage from irunfar.com all day tomorrow. One of these days I will throw my name in the lottery...and one of these days I will be bagging those nasty, monstrous peaks. :-)
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| Photo: Blake Wood |
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| Photo: Bill Geist |
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| Photo: Klas Eklof |
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| Photo: Klas Eklof |
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| Photo: Klas Eklof |
These videos will give you a solid idea of how crazy difficult this course is, what kind of challenges the runners will encounter tomorrow, and of course the insane beauty that will engulf each and every one of them on their 100 mile journey....
For now I will be enjoying the race from behind my computer screen. Look forward to following the wonderful coverage from irunfar.com all day tomorrow. One of these days I will throw my name in the lottery...and one of these days I will be bagging those nasty, monstrous peaks. :-)
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