Category Archives: Running

Runner’s Blog

Piedra Falls

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Dave took me on a four and a half mile bike ride this morning on Jackson Mountain.  This was a different trail than Keith and I ran yesterday, it looped on the north side whereas our trail looped on the south side of Jackson Mountain Road.  This was my first time on a mountain bike in nearly 25 years.  My last ride was on the Austin Greenbelt.  What a kick.  I suspect I’ll be searching Craig’s List soon for a bike.  My rented bike is a Trek from The Hub Bike Shop located near City Market in Pagosa Springs.

This trail was lightly used and hard to see in spots, but extremely soft.  Keith and I might run it tomorrow or perhaps Thursday for a recovery run.  It starts a couple hundred yards below where we started our run at sign post 738 and finishes just above it.  Dave was the perfect coach for someone who needed to relearn how to ride.  He advised me on when and how to shift.  He told me to sit down when riding up hill on loose rocks to add weight to the back tire.  And he explained how to use the rear brake (right-hand) riding down technical hills to avoid flipping, but to use the front brake on less technical downhills for the power.

Mountain biking was before breakfast.  Later in the day we hiked to Piedra Falls.  This is only a mile hike out and back, and a good hour drive from our cabin, but totally worth it to see these awesome falls.  The trail guides all recommend this for kids and it’s a great family hike.  There are also ample camp sites at the trailhead.  This was a 40 mile drive on well maintained county roads.  At 30 miles is the Piedra Trail trailhead.  I plan to return this week to either hike or mountain bike that path through the canyon.  Looks pretty cool.

Jackson Mountain

24 Monday Jun 2013

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jackson mountainKeith and I did a recovery run today in our backyard – which just happens to be Jackson Mountain.  I told him it was about 2.5 miles up but apparently the source I read was referring to the forest road rather than the trail.  Turns out the double track trail is 5.63 miles.  Up hill.  So we decided to make it a loop by running back down the gravel forest road for a total 7.31 miles.

Jackson Mountain road sits at mile marker 151 on Hwy 160, a mile up from where our cabin sits at mile marker 150.  We could have run over but we wanted to keep it short so we drove.  There was some room to park at the lower entrance to the double track at 738.  The lower third of this trail was a decent running trail.  The second third was a bit gnarly in terms of rocks.  There were some steeper parts here too but Keith and I were able to maintain a running pace all the way up.  The top third was smooth.

This is not a killer trail, but to be in our backyard makes it incredible.  It didn’t feel that long.  Dave and Amy biked that same area today and tomorrow Dave is going to take me on their trail because he thinks I’ll appreciate it for a trail run.  Tomorrow will be just another spectacular trail day.  I stopped by the Forest Service office today and got a map and advice for some killer trails that are unaffected by the fires.  Stay tuned for more trail reviews.

Leche Creek Trail

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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sunriseThe sun crested the Continental Divide around 5:30 this morning and I captured this picture from the porch of our cabin in Pagosa Springs.  The winds that blow to the north and east all day whittle away at dusk allowing the smoke from the West Fork San Juan fires to settle like mist around the hills throughout the night.

All the cool hikes I mapped out ahead of time along the Continental Divide for Keith, La Plata and me were off limits due to the fires.  We resolved to hike the Four Mile Lake Loop but had to turn around en route as we encountered the signs stating it was closed due to the fires.  We assume it was because the trail connects with the danger zones and the authorities are controlling access.

san juanWe redirected our plans and drove about eight miles south of Pagosa on Hwy 84 to Blanco Basin Rd.  Nearly ten miles down this well maintained gravel road we turned onto Castle Creek Road, Forest Road 668 and continued for maybe a half mile, veered left at the fork and arrived at the trailhead to the south end of Leche Creek Trail.  Drive slow if you do this to watch for cows on the road.  It wasn’t immediately clear that the trail starts further up the road because there is a cairn in the other direction, but it leads to a camp site.  Two or three miles in we entered the South San Juan Wilderness Area where all vehicles, including mountain bikes, are prohibited.  Until about half way to the north end of the trail, the only tracks were from horses.  In fact, a pair of horseback riders were the only others we brushed by on our six hour hike today.

This trail runs north and south and isn’t the technical experience I intended.  I planned for La Plata (Rob’s trail persona as he hikes the CDT) to lead us along something more steep if not the CDT itself, but this was decent exercise.  The weather was cool for most of it, in the 50s and 60s.  The trail alternated from trees to meadows.  Occasionally we were presented with some nice views.  The course was mostly uphill until around eight miles when it dropped down some switchbacks to the unsigned junction with Navajo Peak Trail.

tent caterpillarWe sat down on the ground here to recover some calories.  Very soon, killer caterpillars were crawling all over us.  These Tent Caterpillars are nesting in many of the area Aspen and killing off the leaves.  Not sure about the lasting effect to the trees.  Many of these trees were over 40 feet tall.

Back to calories, do not eat GU Chomps Energy Chews.  That tripe smells and tastes like fish bait.  Honey Stinger doesn’t need to worry about competition from GU.  These caterpillars probably taste better.

The trail had a couple of steep rises, otherwise the grade was fairly tame with a gain of 2500 feet over 8 miles on the way out.  The final mile was a 500 foot drop, Keith lead us out on the return at a strong pace.  This flume of smoke came into view upon reaching the topflume.

La Plata got us running on the return for a good three or four miles.  This was likely due to the downhill grade on the way back.  We saw some cool stuff on this trail.  The Aspen trees were humongous.  Many had initials carved into them dating back to the ’30s and ’40s.  The oldest I saw was dated 1931.  Keith discovered some wild asparagus – red in color.  And I nearly tripped over this fawn lying on the trail.

fawnAbout twenty steps before where the baby deer was hiding, I thought I saw a big deer running through the trees and snorting.  It was shadowy so I wasn’t certain it was a deer, but the snorting was weird.  La Plata suggested it could be a bear.  We suspect the deer was trying to attract attention away from the fawn hiding on the trail.

action shotThere won’t be any more 18 mile hikes this week.  And we might wait to run later in the morning to let the smoke clear if we hike/run close to Pagosa.  Tomorrow’s plan is to run up Jackson Mountain which is essentially in our back yard.  This will only be five to seven miles depending on where we start.  I’m re-evaluating my hike plans based on fire closures but there’s so many trails in this town I’m not too concerned on each day being anything less than spectacular.

Burning Trail

21 Friday Jun 2013

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Hahn VillageLeave for Pagosa Springs in the morning where I intend to get in some serious mountain trail miles.  Laundry seems to dominate preparing for vacations.  There are other chores.  Servicing the car.  Prepping the bike.  Planning the dinner we will cook when it’s our night.  Printing hiking maps.  Gathering hiking gear.  But it’s mostly about laundry and then packing.  Although I found time to meet up with my buddy Jim at the Tasty Weasel for happy hour.  There’s always time for a tasty beverage.

The big story tonight though is on alternate driving plans and trail routes due to the West Fork San Juan Fire near Pagosa Springs.  They’ve closed Hwy 160 between South Fork and Wolf Creek Pass.  In fact, they are currently evacuating the entire town of South Fork.   We’re still driving down Hwy 285, but this will re-route our drive through New Mexico.  We have to drive out of the state to flank the flames and come back up into Pagosa Springs from the south.  That’s fine – looking forward to lunch in Chama.

My first planned hike was to be with Keith and Rob starting from Wolf Creek Pass heading south along the Continental Divide Trail.  I hiked the 500 mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango with Rob in 2011.  The first segments of that trail are currently blocked due to a fire near Denver.  Rob is hiking the CDT currently in segments, under the trail moniker La Plata.  I joined him on a segment or two late last year and thought it would be pretty cool to get in a segment on this vacation.  Now I’m not so sure it will work out.  The CDT is on fire including Wolf Creek Pass.  We’ll still meet up and find an alternate route.

I mapped out a handful of trails for Keith and me to hike/run throughout the week.  I’ll mountain bike some too with Karen.  The best looking trail has a viable slope for biking up to the Continental Divide with natural hot springs along the route and numerous wooden bridges across the creeks.  This is the West Fork Trail and is at ground zero of the fire.  I suspect another trail on my list, Windy Pass Trail is out too.  But Pagosa Springs has a seemingly infinite number of trails so don’t worry about me.  I’ll be trail running somewhere next week.  This pic above is of me freezing my tail off at the start of the Steamboat Springs Marathon earlier this month.

The Runner and the Frog

17 Monday Jun 2013

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Watching tree frogSurely, you’re familiar with the anecdote of placing a frog in a pot of boiling water.  He’ll jump out of course.  But if you set a frog down into a pot of water at room temperature and slowly bring it to the boiling point, the frog will sit there and eventually boil.  I suspect this is a bullshit urban legend but the metaphor works for me so I’m using it.

For whatever reason I’ve been inundated lately with motivational announcements advancing the notion that running through pain and adversity demonstrates mental strength and is akin to heroism.  You’d think I would agree with that but I don’t.  Clearly I like running.  I ascribe all sorts of benefits to it.  But pushing myself to run hard through the last miles of a marathon isn’t something I necessarily believe is wise or admirable.  Whether we are talking about an intense marathon after hitting the wall, or simply completing a particularly tough workout after your body screams at you to ease up to avoid injury; the ability to finish is less mental fortitude and more like the frog sitting in a slowly warming boil.  You do it because the repetitive motions of the run self-condition you to accept ever-increasing levels of pain at a slow enough rate that you adapt and overcome.  Both brain and body become numb to the dangers.  The idea of stopping or turning around when you’re clearly lost but over halfway there isn’t a decision you make because you’re too invested.  You become half pregnant.  You do it because you’re stupid.

This was never obvious to me in my youth.  I still remember the football coach in high school referencing the ’76 Japanese Olympics gymnast who recently performed the rings with a broken leg as he set the expectation that regardless of our injury, we always walk ourselves off the field.  Idiot.  I’m smarter now.  I’m in tune to body stress and pending injury and take the requisite precautions.  I cool down even in many races rather than sprint for the finish.  Meeting that runner the other day with the cadaver tendons got me thinking on this topic.  My goal is to be able to continue to enjoy running.  Even Neil Young never burned out and is slowly rusting.  Live to run another day.

Relay Prep

16 Sunday Jun 2013

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TomI returned to the Picture Rock Trail Head to run some hills in preparation for the Flaming Foliage Relay.  Generally I access the Heil Valley Ranch trail system from the Wapiti Trail off Left Hand Canyon.  It’s closer to my house and only 2.5 miles up.  Picture Rock Trail is over 5 miles up, but that’s the point.  Today’s run included Keith and Steve, both on my relay, and their buddy Tom pictured here.  He’s running yet another relay across Colorado with Keith and Steve in about 4 weeks.  All of us need hill training to prep for our relays in the mountains.

Before starting up the hill, nearly 20 runners ran by us.  They were men, seemingly in their mid to late twenties.  They emerged from the trail head onto the road.  They were apparently training on a more flat loop through Lyons that mixed trail with pavement.  They were soon followed by a group of 10 or so women runners.  We saw these women on the highway while driving to the trail head.  This gave us a good sense of their course.  These runners all looked elite.  Or maybe all youth looks elite to me but they were running a good clip.  The men’s squad had a few falling behind on the strong pace.

KeithI wasn’t able to find the time to run Saturday and I think that made me refreshed for today.  I led us up the hill and felt strong.  The cool thing about this trail is that even though it goes uphill forever, the grade is manageable.  Even for mountain bikers.  Oddly there were more runners than bikers on the way up.  Generally this is a mountain biking trail.  Keith and I reached the top first.  This is the point at 5.5 miles where the Picture Rock Trail intersects with the Wild Turkey Loop.  It continues rising for another half mile for runners who haven’t had enough punishment.  We stopped here per plan and waited for Tom and Steve.

Before they joined us, Keith and I chatted with a mountain biker who was resting.  I didn’t catch his name but he was in his 40s and nursing a torn achilles tendon.  He related the story of how he ripped it apart trail running in Estes Park.  His subsequent surgery included replacement parts from a cadaver.  Thank God that stuff only happens to others.

Tom and Steve had less time to recover before heading back down.  I’m certain Steve wanted more time, but I felt like pushing him.  The boy needs to get serious about his training with all the events he has planned.  Invariably, my strategy on this trail is to get my workout on the way up and not worry about speed on the way down.  I flew down fairly fast anyway because I had time to fully recover and felt strong.  Tom followed me.  Not sure of his conditioning but his ability to hang was probably more related to having experienced trail legs and confidence in his footfalls.  I slow down on this trail when I feel fatigued because it’s treacherous.  Anyone familiar with this trail has their share of stories stumbling over the rocks.  I fell once so hard I bounced up a foot and a half into a thorny bush, which was fortunate despite the thorns as it kept me from tumbling down a steep hill.

SteveThe biker situation was completely different on the descent.  We must have passed, or been passed by, 30 mountain bikers.  It didn’t annoy me as much as it does other times.  Perhaps because these bikers were mostly experienced and passed by without too much impact.  Or, even though I was running strong, I wasn’t intent on racing and didn’t mind slowing down to let the less experienced bikers pass.

It’s rare I feel this strong sinking back to the bottom of a 5.5 mile ascent.  I credit both yesterday’s rest and the long wait for Steve at the top with allowing my muscles to recover.  I would normally slow down the final 2 miles on Picture Rock Trail regardless of fatigue out of respect for the rocks and memory of past spills.  Click on this pic of Steve to get a view of the rocks.  I might have got caught up in racing the bikers.  I pushed it all the way down, with Tom close on my heels.  He passed me near the end as I elected to cool down the final half mile.  The weather actually cooled off during the run which may have also contributed to the fast descent.  Nothing’s hurting a few hours later as I blog this.  Really nice run for Father’s Day.

What not to get me this Father’s Day

14 Friday Jun 2013

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BB2013 Finisher PhotoLululemon for Men athletic wear.  In case you live under a rock, this is the fantastically successful women’s athletic wear company whose stock was dinged recently for having to recall overly sheer yoga pants.  Their CEO resigned this week (after dumping $50M in stock) lowering their stock price even more.  They have launched men’s wear now and are betting big it will be successful.  You won’t find me wearing their black and gray with flashes of blue and pink pastel.

I’m fairly conservative in dress.  I wear modestly long runner’s shorts.  I don’t wear v-neck t-shirts because I like to cover the hair on my chest.  I still cringe whenever I see videos of Richard Simmons.  This Bolder Boulder finisher’s photo depicts how a runner should dress.  Shorts to the knees.  Shirt left untucked to obscure the master’s division paunch.  No tank top.  Color coordination is probably a good thing but mine is coincidental as Karen advised me on what to wear the night before.  I probably should have asked her to pin on my race bib so it wouldn’t be so crooked.  My wife is tastefully demure, but is a woman after all.  I do appreciate some feminine details.

It’s because of her that I’m familiar with Lululemon, Athleta and Lucy.  I like their stuff.  On women.  If I thought the new Lululemon men’s line of sportswear met my taste, I’d buy it.  I’m not against a single firm making both men and women clothing.  My running wardrobe consists primarily of Nike, North Face, Under Armour and Brooks.  What I see being offered currently by Lulu is too close to gear that would appeal to Richard Simmonds.  I hope they do well (I’m long July 20th $70 call options) but I won’t be wearing it.

Roller Coaster

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

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mile 22The key to longevity in my sport is avoiding injury.  All runners my age that I talk to agree with this.  It explains why we become best buddies with our Physical Therapists.  It should be easy to achieve for an experienced runner, but it’s not.  Running, and I suspect most other amateur sports, are goal oriented.  And the goal isn’t to run every day, although it is.  Goals are generally event driven and require aggressive training.  A runner needs to add distance or speed to train for a marathon or set a personal record.  I imagine there are some runners who reach a nice level of fitness and can simply maintain it with consistent workouts that don’t over stress their bodies.  These runners all earned perfect attendance awards in grade school.

Such runners seemingly coast along while the rest of us ride a roller coaster of achievement and injury.  Our training leaves us constantly on the verge of injury.  If we aren’t stressing a muscle or tweaking a tendon, then we aren’t pushing ourselves hard enough.  Improving strength requires incurring micro tears to muscles just as building VO2 max leaves us breathless.  I have a good amount of training time before my next big event but I don’t expect much recovery to occur.  I will try hard to add weights to my regimen because I believe they help mitigate injury.  Otherwise my plan is to add hills, elevation and trails – all needed for the Flaming Foliage Relay in September.

Goals need plans.  Chris and Keith are both really good at plans.  I talked them into joining me in the Boulder Marathon, also in September.  I was talked into my last marathon and I’m convinced the only way to avoid that again is to be the one doing the talking.  So far I have Chris and Keith.  Steve is on my list.  Chris’ plan is quite formal – called the Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 Training Program.  I believe it’s an 18 week plan to train for a marathon.  We only have 15 weeks but Chris can jump in at week 3 or 4.  Like most marathon training plans, this increases weekly distance with longer runs, also increasing, on the weekends.  There are some weeks that remain flat and there is some tapering near the end.  I know Keith follows a similar plan.  Such plans optimize increasing distance at a pace that minimizes risk of injury.

My plan is to do my best at running 8 miles on week days and then fit long trail runs over the weekends.  I probably won’t ever run farther than 15 miles.  Probably no more than 12.  Marathon training plans will generally lead you up to 20 miles though.  I’ve never done that in a workout.  This pic above shows me shuffling my feet at 22 miles in the Steamboat Springs Marathon – next to Emily Stout who took 2nd place in her 20 year old age division.  This was the last of the big rolling hills on that course.  I’ll start my training in earnest in two weeks with my vacation to Pagosa Springs.  I’ve mapped out a few roller coaster trail runs already in the mountains.  Pagosa looks to be an epic training week.

Summer Running Camp

08 Saturday Jun 2013

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BB at 5 milesSummer has started.  I already got in a weekend running trip to Steamboat Springs.  Next up is a full week in Pagosa Springs at the end of the month.  I don’t have any formal events planned but do intend to explore their running trails.  This town actually plays up their abundance of trails and maintains this web site of information on them.  They even have a page on Facebook.  I recall struggling so hard to find the trails in Carlsbad on my last visit there.  This has me excited.  I’m already getting advice from the FB site on where to run.  Some of my running buddies will be joining me.  This is going to be a running camp.

This pic is at the 5 mile point in the Bolder Boulder.  Pretty tight pack rounding the corner.  Felt like a race in how I hung with the same group of runners throughout the course.  My knee is a little sore from pounding the pavement in last weekend’s marathon.  Seems to hurt after longer runs.  I ran 8 Thursday and 10 today.  I’m not in any training rush though so I’ll take it easy the next two weeks to ensure I’m healthy.  I want to be fresh for Pagosa Springs.

Half Full

06 Thursday Jun 2013

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Hahn PeakI look good in this pic.  This is in the first 10K of the Steamboat Springs Marathon, with Hahn Peak in the background.  The final 10K was a different picture.  I was broken.  Hobbling across the finish line.  My finish line pics all show me with my head down.  The event photos are published at Metrophoto.com.

Friends and family are advising me to abandon full marathons.  They tell me I should focus on half marathons.  I can understand why.  I’m extremely comfortable with the half.  My running is consistent enough that I’m nearly always in good enough condition to run a half on any given weekend.  I’m highly confident with that distance.  And I may never be totally confident with the full marathon distance, but that’s partly what makes marathons so special.  I’m rarely nervous lining up to the start of events.  Marathons though are a little scary and I like that.  Even elite athletes can’t say for sure exactly how a marathon will turn out for them.  I’m not ready to give up on marathons just yet.  They haven’t all turned out bad.  I’ve had a couple of good ones.  Ran a 3:36 in my first Denver Marathon.  Took 2nd in my division at the 2012 Boulder Marathon.  I still got game.

I’ve run five marathons now since I got back in shape and returned to road races in 2010.  I ran two as a kid that I won’t count, but I’ve run the Denver Marathon twice, the Boulder Marathon last fall, the Austin Marathon in 2011 and this recent Steamboat Springs event.  I should probably count the 25 mile Collegiate Peaks Trail Run – but that’s as different from a road marathon as the 17 mile Imogene Pass Run.  I’m not yet satisfied.  I’ve run some decent times but have yet to put together the perfect race.

I don’t feel that I’ve failed or lost necessarily, but it’s like that.  I want to keep doing it until I get it right.  Getting it right to me means running strong from start to finish.  I’m looking more for being able to maintain my pace in the final 10K than running a personal record, but there’s likely a strong correlation.  Figuring out how to do this is the challenge that keeps me interested.  I’m convinced the trick is taking in the proper nutrition during the run.  The two issues I’ve encountered are hitting the wall and cramping in the final 10K.  I’ve screwed up other ways too but I know how to fix those mistakes.  I’ve yet to master how to maintain energy and electrolytes.

I’m not obsessed about this enough to schedule marathons every month.  I can wait until September for the Boulder Marathon to take another run at it.  Marathons take a lot out of me.  They’re the Super Bowl of running.  I said earlier that I believe I can run a half marathon on any given weekend.  That suggests some decent consistency in my workouts.  But to maintain that level of conditioning for marathons would take its toll.  My knees have their limit.  This is the time of year I normally increase my miles but I need to ensure I do it on trails.  And while trails offer a softer surface; steep, rocky, mountain trails require a higher intensity than pavement so they have a way of taxing the legs too.

My schedule for the remainder of the year is another half in August – from Georgetown to Idaho Springs.  The Flaming Foliage Relay in September and the Boulder Marathon also in September.  I might add a 5K at some point, although I could wait until December for the Colder Bolder.  My Garmin stats currently show a faster pace for my 10K than 5K and that’s bugging me as much as running a decent marathon.

Long and Winding Road

02 Sunday Jun 2013

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court houseSafe to say I didn’t run this marathon to plan.  And I paid the price.  Weekend itself went well though.  Karen, Ellie and I drove up Friday evening through Poudre Canyon on Hwy 14.  Really cool drive.  Slow, but something you need to do at least once vs taking I-70 and Hwy 40 to Steamboat.  Hwy 14 connects with Hwy 40 on Rabbit Ears Pass – at the Continental Divide.  We ate at some good restaurants – Sweet Pea, Sweetwater Grill, Winona’s and the Ore House.  And the Steamboat Grande is a nice hotel.  Awesome pool.

I closed out Saturday night talking to Kelly poolside while our kids swam.  Kelly was up supporting Jen who planned to run the Half Marathon.  Which she did of course with a super strong showing in 2:07.  I rode up to the start of the marathon on a different bus than Jen.  I sat next to Liliane, a Pediatrician from Denver.  We talked about our kids and running.  The bus ride up helped us to gain knowledge of the course.  Most hills did not appear too steep, although several were quite long.  You can’t get a decent sense of this from elevation charts.  This worked to put me at ease.

Mostly though I was simply in awe of the stunning scenery.  Calling this post card perfect doesn’t describe it.  The course follows rivers that cut through lush valleys dotted with picturesque farms.  We passed through a couple of villages, best described as mountain hamlets.  How many one room school houses does a road need to be labelled idyllic?  This course was surreal.  The picture here is of Hahn Village where the bus dropped us off for the start of the marathon.  That’s Hahn Peak in the background.

Hahn VillageHahn Village was 35° at the start of the run.  I selected to stand in the sun once it crested the mountain.  My Garmin results show 46° but I don’t know how it averages that over a 4 hour run.  It did warm up to probably 70° or so by the end of the run.  I wore a long-sleeve tech running shirt with a cotton short-sleeve top underneath to protect my nipples from chaffing.  And for the added warmth in the early hours.  I also wore Nike Dri-Fit shorts.  Gloves weren’t needed, I kept my hands warm at the start by holding onto hot coffee and doing some windmills.

I warmed up immediately as we began running.  The cool weather might have contributed with the downhill grade to my fast pace.  I ran 7:32, 7:24 and 7:20 for my first 3 miles.  So much for my 9:00 minute pace plan.  This included a sizable rise in the first mile but not enough.  The problem with running downhill is that even at altitude – this began at over 8100 feet – your heart rate isn’t challenged.  And I wasn’t breathing as hard as I expected at that elevation.  I almost looked forward to the hill in the 4th mile which slowed my pace down to 8:10.  I needed help like that to moderate my pace.  This would prove short-lived.  The 5th mile was a second off my Bolder Boulder 5th mile in 6:47, and mile 6 came in at 6:57 for about a 46 minute 10K.  This is my 2nd fastest 10K in 20 years, after last week’s 44:23.

This should have been a red flag to slow down.  I wasn’t even trying to run fast today, but I did tell myself I would run fast if I felt good.  I continued times like this for the next 10K, not slowing down until mile 13 with an 8:25.  My first half came in at 1:40.  One of my fastest ever half marathons.  I knew I was in trouble when my hamstring began to feel like it might cramp at this point – which it did at 19 miles.  From that point on, my pace was never under 10 minutes.  In fact, I walked most of the final 3 miles as my calves replaced my hamstring as the problem area.  I felt fine otherwise and could walk really fast, but running for more than a minute would cramp my calves.  Can’t tell you how frustrating this was.

Seems obvious the cramping was due to running the first half way too fast, but I’m not entirely certain.  I drank at every aid station.  Typically I took both a water and sports drink.  Problem though is I can’t stand sports drinks.  I think they all taste like shit so all I can do while on the run is take a sip.  My throat won’t open for more.  I can down the entire cup of water, and while that hydrates, it doesn’t do much to supply the electrolytes needed to avoid muscle cramps.  I can tell you what I ate that was incredible though – Powerice.  This is a frozen stick of electrolytes.  Unfortunately they were only served at one aid station near the end.  You have to try these.

I believe the culmination of steep downhills and pavement contributed equally with my fast pace to my muscle cramps.  I never run on pavement and do very little downhill running.  This may be the prettiest road run in the country, but it’s a bruiser.  A few downhills were so steep it hurt to run down them.  This is somewhat ironic as few of the uphills were very difficult.  Walking in didn’t help my time much but it wasn’t too far off my goal.  I wanted to break 4 hours and finished at 4:13 – 9th place in my division.

Jen's familyUnfortunately I was slow to recover from the cramping afterward.  It took me nearly 2 hours before I could sit in a car to drive back to the hotel.  In addition to cramps, my knees and back both hurt.  They don’t hurt normally because I never run on pavement.  Even in road races on pavement, they don’t hurt afterward.  I don’t recommend running downhill marathons on pavement.  Jen and Kelly drove me back to the hotel where I showered, stewed in a hot tub for awhile, and received a great massage from Tara at the Steamboat Grande Spa.  I’m fully recovered now.  I think.  We’ll see tomorrow.

Steamboat Strategy

30 Thursday May 2013

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finsiher fotoYet another marathon Sunday.  This was Steve’s idea.  We were all supposed to sign up right after Moab to run with Steve in his first ever marathon.  So I did.  Eventually, much later, Jen was able to shame Steve to at least sign up for the half marathon by calling him a pussy.  Since then, Steve has bailed to run another half marathon trail race in New Mexico with his daughter Allison.  Keith is day-to-day with a wife-induced, gardening-related, back injury.  Jen is still committed, but to the half.  That leaves me alone running the full.  Hmm.

That’s okay.  I haven’t been putting in the requisite miles, but I’ve put in less before.  Although that particular marathon didn’t go very well.  I recall blaming my shoes in my first post-race blog, totally bashing the manufacturer before determining I went out too fast.  Sorry Asics, but I blamed my inserts too.  Despite not feeling totally prepared for a marathon, I’ve been running consistently.  My focus has been more on speed for the Bolder Boulder – which went well.  I did try to get in some distance too but tapered a couple of weeks ago when I began to feel fatigued and injured.  I totally psyched myself out, backing off my initial plans to run a 7 minute pace for Monday’s BB10K, thinking I would run more like 7:30.  Instead I ran my original goal I set over two months earlier.  I don’t know what my problem was.  Low T crossed my mind.  I probably just slowed down from the weather heating up.  But you don’t fall out of shape over night.  The Bolder Boulder turned out okay and I’ll be fine in Steamboat too.

That leaves me to strategerize my game plan for running Steamboat.  The plan begins with more tapering.  I ran 10 miles Tuesday, following my Memorial Day 10K, but only 3 on Wednesday.  I wore my minimalist Merrill Trail Gloves for that short distance.  I didn’t run at all today and probably won’t tomorrow since I’ll have to drive 3 hours to Steamboat immediately after work.  I’ll do a short run Saturday to acclimate to the 7,000 feet elevation.

I’ll begin the marathon fairly slow, maybe a 9 minute pace.  Certainly no faster than 8:30, because it launches from over 8100 feet and rises another 50 to the 2 mile point.  My 3rd mile might be fast since it’s entirely downhill but I’ll be loose by then.  The 4th mile rises another 100 feet so likely back to 9 minutes.  After those 4 miles, I’ll either try to keep my pace at 8:30 or run however I feel. I won’t purposely run super slow, but I have no plans to try to push myself Sunday.  This first marathon of the year is more about survival.  I think I might listen to music too.  I know many runners believe they run faster to music.  I sometimes feel like I’m running faster but experience suggests I run slower.  It takes the edge off.  Maybe I need an edgier playlist.

It’s difficult to predict an exact time for this marathon.  I don’t know the course well enough and know I won’t be pushing it hard.  Still, I would like to keep it under 4 hours.  Over 4 hours suggests some walking.  One goal I do have is to not fold like a cheap card table the final 10K.  My plan for that is to drink and eat at every aid station.  Assuming it’s about nutrition, that might help.  The pic above is the finisher’s photo with my girls at Monday’s Bolder Boulder.  We’re a running family.

Bolder Boulder with the Girls

27 Monday May 2013

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The girls decided to run the Bolder Boulder this year.  They signed up for a run/walk wave and drove down with Wendy and Chase.  I not only finished before the start of their 9:30 wave, I changed into dry gear and quaffed a couple of beers.  Waiting for them in Folsom Stadium with my running buddies was as fun a part of the day as anything else.  It’s been a great Memorial Day weekend overall.

At 5:45am I drive down to Boulder alone and park in the CU Engineering Center parking lot for $20.  This parking location makes for a quick escape after the run, and will allow me to change into a dry shirt while waiting for the girls.  I jog the mile to the race start which serves as a good warmup.  I get in at least another mile of jogging and plenty of stretching before my wave starts at 7:03am.  Probably the most effective warmup I’ve done in decades.  I’m still not confident that I can run within my wave time of 44:30, but jogging and stretching leaves me feeling ready.

We start running north up 30th St.  This slope isn’t difficult but still, any grade at altitude is noticeable.  Per plan, I start in the back of my wave, but these early waves aren’t very deep so I don’t know that it matters much.  I feel like I’m hanging in there but slow down after my arms begin to feel heavy.  That’s a sure sign of oxygen debt.  I maintain a strong pace though as we turn west on Valmont for a couple of blocks.  We then turn south on 28th St. which takes us back down the same slope we just ran up.  Maybe I started out too fast because this doesn’t feel downhill.  It’s like some Micheal C. Escher wood carved print.  My Garmin would later reveal that we started at 5278 feet and only returned to 5279.  I must be the Princess and the Pea when it comes to elevation.  My Garmin buzzes the completion of the first mile a bit before I reach the actual mile marker.

This is typical in road races.  I’ll end up running at least 6.3 miles and the distance will increase between my Garmin and each mile marker as I near the finish.  This is partly why it was important to me to qualify for as fast a wave as I could.  I want to run a good time this year and the less people I have to run around – the less distance and time.  My Garmin displays 6:59 at mile one.  I should maybe be worried that this is too fast but at the same time it’s a confidence builder.  This pace is hard but I’m not tired and believe I can hold it.  Per plan, I wanted to run closer to 7:30, but 7:00 to 8:00 is an acceptable range for the first mile.

elvisHow I feel on mile two will tell me if 7:00 was too fast.  The second mile starts out easy enough with a right hand turn onto Pine, but after three blocks we turn right again to head up Folsom.  I don’t feel obligated to match my first mile pace considering my 7 minute start.  This hill generally separates the pack but the runners around me aren’t slowing down like I’m used to seeing.  Must be more experienced athletes in these faster waves.  There’s quite a bit of gratuitous entertainment on Folsom.  Still, it feels like the longest mile.  I feel like I might be slowing down a bit but I’m not getting passed much.  My Garmin beeps and I see I’ve run a 7:09 pace.  I’ve only slowed down by 10 seconds.

Shortly after the two mile marker I pass a young runner vomiting loads of dark brown fluid in the gutter.  Boulder offers a plethora of quality brew pubs as this guy no doubt knows.  Other than him, my wave is hanging strong.  I’m impressed by their experienced running and happy to be among them.  I suspect their smart running is helping me to maintain a consistent pace.  Nice.  My Garmin gives me a 7:02 for my 3rd mile and I’m surprised.  Per plan and per experience I expect mile 2 to be the slowest of the course but I didn’t feel that I sped up any on this mile.  I guess 7 seconds is not a huge difference.  I’m elated to be running under a 7:10 pace.  The official race clock will be slower than my Garmin but not by much.

pharoI don’t feel pressured now to push myself too hard through mile 4.  I initially expected my first two miles to be slower, but they weren’t so shoot – I just need to maintain.  And I sort of think I can.  I’m not winded.  My legs don’t burn on the small hills.  Well, not until I reach Casey Hill near the end of the 4th mile.  I slow down for this one.  I’m not overly fatigued which is good but the force of gravity feels to have doubled. I focus on form and my Garmin tells me it’s been 4 full miles about ten seconds before I reach the mile marker.  That’s okay.  This mile is in 6:58.  I rub the sweat from my eyes to reread that and it’s correct.  I know official clock time will be slower but still – I’m stoked.

Not stoked enough though to charge down the hill into mile 5 per my race strategy.  Instead, I use the top of the hill to recover.  Once my thighs stop burning, I open up my stride somewhat.  It feels good to change up my form.  I want to run this 5th mile strong but there’s less need now that I’ve been maintaining such a good pace.  Besides, being the only downhill mile of the course, it’ll take care of itself.  At least that’s the rationale I feed myself to avoid running any faster.  I change up my plans to begin my kick in mile 6.  My Garmin gives me a 6:48 at mile 5 which I then use to justify planning a cool down for mile 6.

I do the math though and remember that the official race time will be slower than my Garmin.  I’m so close to breaking 45 minutes, I need to push it in.  Or at least hold on to this pace.  I’m not hurting at all.  I can’t see myself running any faster, but I can hold this pace.  Until I get to Folsom that is.  Uphill again.  I feel my heart rate rising with this climb.  This is going to be work.  I let myself slow down but focus on good running form.  When you can’t speed up, focus on form.

The final half mile in this race is just brutal.  Someone should talk to the race director.  I’m fearful of last year’s finish when I had to stop at the top of the hill for dry heaves.  I want to climb the hill slow to maintain composure but at the same time I’m racing the clock to beat 45 minutes.  I run the final hill hard.  I run past the point I heaved last year but it hits me after I enter the stadium.  It’s not as debilitating as last year and I run through it.  I know I can afford to slow down but not to stop.  Thankfully the finish line is closer this year for some reason and I cross it before getting sick.  Garmin says 44:23.  Nice.  My Garmin gives me a 7:01 pace while the official clock gives me a 7:09.  I met the expected time of my wave which qualifies me to repeat wave B next year.

IMG_2209I wait in section 120 while my running buddies pile in.  I see Brittany and Ellie enter the stadium and sprint to the finish.  They look like they enjoyed themselves.  The race pictures above are from Brit.  They started with Ellie’s buddy Chase and some other friends – all in this festive pic.  This is Ellie’s very first 10K.  Hopefully the first of many.

Shadow and Rock

25 Saturday May 2013

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Keith & AllisonHeil Valley Ranch has a few rocks on the trail.  I advised the gang to run from the south trail head this morning.  It’s a bit shorter drive.  There’s no risk of a speeding ticket from Lyon’s finest.  And I believe the Wapiti Trail is less rocky than the Picture Rock Trail.

I started out trailing on the climb up to ensure I could run slow.  I need to carefully warm up to avoid straining anything.  This is the inherent benefit running mountain trails.  An uphill start forces you to run slow.  You might still be breathing hard, but it’s more gentle on your muscles.  Plus we need the hill workouts.  Today’s gang consisted of Keith and Allison – in the first pic.  Me.  And Jen and Steve in the third pic.  The five of us are joining five others to run the Flaming Foliage Relay in September.  Covering 170 miles from Idaho Springs to Buena Vista, it crosses three mountain passes.  The time to train on hills is now.

Ed looking tiredI hope the Flaming Foliage Relay runs over less technical trails.  I covered some of it when I hiked the 500 mile Colorado Trail in 2011 and I remember the trails being perfect for running.  The top of Heil Valley Ranch presents two loops – the Ponderosa Trail and the Wild Turkey Loop.  I prefer Wild Turkey because it’s less rocky.  I run it clockwise because I believe this optimizes the correlation of smooth trail to downhill segments.  Trust me, you don’t want to run downhill on rocky segments.

Still, Wild Turkey Loop has its share of rocky trail segments.  I loosened up after reaching the top and lengthened my stride on the smooth runs.  But I had to be careful.  Blades of shadow cut across the trail obscuring the jagged teeth of red rock stones.  I tweaked my ankle a tad after stepping on one pointy rock.  I still have my trail legs and maintained good footwork to keep a strong pace.  But those hidden rocks would nip at the inside of my arches and bite my ankles like wading through a pool of piranha.  Only once did I stumble.  It was from hitting my left foot on a rock and it tore at my strained abdomen.  This was on the final two miles coming back down Wapiti Trail and I slowed down afterward to keep it safe.

jen and steveKeith did fall but didn’t hurt himself.  I swear, I think it’s better to fall than to stumble and strain your stomach maintaining balance.  I took the time to stretch afterward.  Something I just never do but am working at lately.  I feel good now and associate that with the cool down and stretching.  The run turned out to be just under ten miles.  Longer than planned but slow enough that it won’t leave me fatigued for the Bolder Boulder on Monday.  I’ll taper with an easy three tomorrow.

Bolder Race Strategy

22 Wednesday May 2013

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BB2012startCan you see me in this Bolder Boulder 2012 starting wave?  I’m wearing a white shirt and green hat.  Let me know if you see me because I can’t find myself.  I probably started near the back.  That’s my starting strategy this year too.  My thinking is that will allow me to go out more conservatively than the bulk of the wave.

Starting out in the 4th wave, I expect to still run well under an 8 minute first mile.  My wave should average a 7:10 pace and most runners will likely come in under 7 minutes the first mile.  The excitement will no doubt suck me in like a vortex.  I don’t care too much how slow I run, I’m more concerned with starting out too quickly.  With that said, I might be disappointed if I don’t break an 8 minute pace.  I would like to run around 7:30.  I would like to hold that pace for mile 2 as well – knowing the uphill grade increases and the typical runner slows heading up Folsom.

This will be a challenging pace for me, but I think it’s doable.  Any faster than that the first two miles will lead to disaster, but I could maybe maintain this pace the entire course.  If I am at 15 minutes by 2 miles, I might have the confidence to push myself to run even faster.  I know it’s dangerous to make predictions, but what else would I blog about?  How slow I expect to run?  Screw that.  Running slow is for marathons.  Or the way I run them, the last 10K of marathons.

Mile 3 continues the steepness of mile 2, but also contains a little downhill slope rolling into mile 4.  The 4th mile rolls up and down several hills.  These first 4 miles rise steadily uphill from the starting line – which is the overall low point at 5275.  This is why runners are advised to start off slowly.  If not winded after 2 miles, then run through the hills of miles 3 and 4 aggressively.  That’s my game plan if I’m feeling strong.  The timing tag will record each mile split, plus I’ll have my Garmin.  I hope afterward to see an even pace overall with a slightly negative split – meaning I run the second half of the course faster than the first.

The 5th mile begins at the highest point of elevation with 5391 feet on Casey Hill.  Then it’s downhill for the next mile all the way back to Folsom.  I want this to be my fastest mile.  No reason to save anything for mile 6.  It’s uphill again.  I just have to plan on the crowd and paranormal energy to bring me on into Folsom Stadium.  The way to run the Bolder Boulder is to kick on mile 5 and save little to nothing for the final mile.

PT Visit

20 Monday May 2013

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iStock hip flexorI’m back from my first ever visit to a physical therapist.  I saw the boys at Altitude Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, conveniently located just a few blocks from my house.  The PT suspects the same as I do, my pain is coming from old abdominal scar tissue.  He suggested a couple of things for me to do to address the pain and hopefully recover.

The PT frequently pointed to a model of the hip bone area, much like in this picture, to illustrate his advice.  He noted both my thighs and hip flexors are overly tight.  He believes stretching these muscles will mitigate the pain.  He demonstrated some stretches that are new to me.  Stretching a hip flexor is not straightforward.  The same stretches might also directly help the scar tissue too.  The trick he said with scar tissue is to slowly, gently stretch it, rather than tearing it from not warming up.

I intend to stop after the first mile of my runs to stretch this area, based on the PT’s advice.  And then continue with the rest of my run.  For the Bolder Boulder next weekend, I’ll warm up with a mile or two before the start.  For my marathon in two weeks, I’ll simply start out super slow.  If this works, then I’m good.  If not, he suggested I visit an MD and relate my attempts to alleviate the symptoms with stretching.  This could also be from a hernia of some sort, although I don’t think so.  Time will tell.

A Good Sign

19 Sunday May 2013

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Jabe kissThe best thing I can say about my runs this weekend is that I got a haircut.  After letting my hair grow long over the winter, I’m back to short.  Not quite my typical buzz cut, but feels good running in the hot air.  I believe my running hat fits better too.

My pace hasn’t improved though.  I don’t know what happened but I slowed down a week and a half ago and can’t seem to get my speed back.  I can’t say for sure if it’s this little abdominal injury.  The pain from that recedes within the first mile to where I don’t notice it.  Being my core though it might be stealing my strength.  I don’t generally consider any issues above the knee to even be a running injury.  I have my PT visit scheduled for Monday.  It’ll be interesting to find out some details.  He’ll likely tell me it’s from turning 51.

I squeezed 3 quarter mile fartleks into my 7 miler Saturday.  Ran them in under a 6:30 mile pace.  I felt like I was nearly sprinting.  Hoping that will help my legs break out of this slow funk.  I have some tightness in my right hamstring now.  That’s something I’ve had before in some marathons so I need to stretch that puppy out.  A few other areas hurt too after those fartleks.  Interesting how running fast can highlight problem areas.

I ran the White Rock Trail this morning.  I literally ran into Keith on the trail, after having told him to run without me when he pinged me around 8am.  Pretty funny since we don’t normally run that trail.  Not sure why I wanted to run by myself today.  Maybe because I knew I’d be running so slow.  I maintained a decent pace though – 9:18 per mile for 12 miles.  What really felt good though was how strong I felt running up the hills.  My heart was never pounding like a drum and I was quick to recover after reaching the top of each hill.  This is a really good sign that I’m in good shape.  That’s what I like about this course.  After running this trail for 24 years, it serves as an indicator of my conditioning.  I have to be in half way decent shape just to complete the course without walking.

I’m kissing Jabe in this pic at the Left Hand Brewery to celebrate the completion of her USATF running coach certification.  And because I’d quaffed a few beers by that point.  This is my last weekend of prep for the Bolder Boulder 10K on Memorial Day.  I suspect I’ll start to taper next weekend.  I don’t know that I’m ready for the Steamboat Marathon the following weekend.  I’ll just run it slow.  I’m good at that.  My buddy Chris Price ran his first ever marathon today – the Colfax Marathon.  He ran it in 3:46 – an 8:40 pace.  Pretty impressive.

PT Time

12 Sunday May 2013

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boulder half 2013I’ve come to the realization that I’m injured and I need to seek medical advice.  I began to feel a stitch in my lower abdomen back in February – sometime between the Austin Half and Moab.  I guessed it was scar tissue that flairs up now and then from an injury I incurred in my college days.  It was in that general area.  I thought situps would help mitigate the pain but they haven’t.  Instead, the pain has steadily grown – shooting upwards into my ribs and downward into my testicles.  Enough said. I need a quarter mile to half mile on runs before the pain recedes enough to allow a normal stride and pace.  And the pain is with me all day now, not only during runs.

I’d like to think I’ve matured enough to understand the value of seeking medical treatment.  To not be concerned about missing a race that cost me $100 in registration fees.  I haven’t.  So I’m looking for a doctor that I’m confident won’t tell me, “It’s hard to say what it is Ed, just take off the next six weeks.”  That’s what so many of them do.  They offer the option of a $3000 MRI that insurance covers only 80% of, and tell you to stop running.

Gadget Girl and my buddy Chris both see a local Physical Therapist whom seems more in tune to a runner’s desire to train through an injury.  I’m going to setup an appointment as soon as I can get in to see him.  The old Ed would wait until after the Bolder Boulder and Steamboat Marathon so that there would be no risk of missing those events.  But I have matured slightly.  Or maybe it’s just that this injury has got me by the balls.  After reducing my average training pace down to 8 minutes per mile, I’m suddenly back up to 8:40 per mile.  I need to fix this.

Chautauqua

04 Saturday May 2013

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keithKeith and I ran the Mesa Trail again this Saturday, but in the reverse direction.  We started and ended at Chautauqua Park in Boulder.  This enabled us to breakfast at the Chautauqua Dining Hall.  This place doesn’t get much press, one of Boulder’s hidden gems.  We didn’t feel under-dressed in our sweaty running gear and muddy shoes.  Although I’m not sure it’s possible to under-dress anywhere in Boulder, except maybe the Flagstaff House restaurant.  We were here because of Susan’s (Keith’s wife) birthday.  She was running with Jabe’s Running Group – an incredibly social network of runners in my neighborhood.  They launched from the South Mesa Trailhead and joined us for breakfast at Chautauqua.  With seven runners and several other hikers and friends, we pwned the place.

bridgeThis running-centered, real-world social event leads me to think of the virtual social discussion from the Trail Runner Magazine’s current blogging topic:  Social Media – Bane or Boon to Trail Running.  It seems unlikely any blogger would respond “bane”, and I’m no exception.  I’ll tell you how I leverage social media.  When I plan to run a trail, as part of an event or otherwise, I query hiking and running blogs for trail descriptions.  It’s the rare trail race web site that describes an event to the detail I desire.  I’m happy if they provide an elevation chart, but those can be misleading.  Many event web sites are so poor in content I wonder why they bother.  I’m waiting for the year the Boulder Marathon figures out how to add links to their sponsor logos.  Even the good ones though, like the IPR from Ouray to Telluride, are no substitute for a verbose, segment-by-segment writeup by a good blogger.  I want more than a description, I want to read the experience.

eveThe information I look for in a running blog includes advice on how to prep for the event.  How to optimally run the course.  Especially tips on the best eateries in the vicinity.  It’s difficult to say exactly what detail will turn out good-to-know.  Copious comments might contain content that I would not have thought to consider.  This is where the social aspect comes into play.  Social media is a boon to communication.  And communication expands the potential of whatever it’s focused on.

I can imagine worse case scenarios wherein word-of-mouth leads to more popularity than a trail or event can support.  You see this with some big road races; they start out small and become huge as a consequence of their successful operations.  Trails generally control this by setting limits on participation.  I don’t know how trail events establish these limits – probably experience.  I think the Imogene Pass Run has a weather related cutoff time to get runners over the pass.  Regardless, I don’t think trail running suffers any adverse affects from social media.  It’s all good.

jabeFrom the WordPress stats my blog receives, I find many readers come from searches on upcoming events.  No doubt, they query blogs for the same reasons I do.  Search terms contain the race name along with the word “training” or “review”.  Immediately after the event, searches contain the race name along with “results” and “photos”.  Of course I don’t see as many searches for this as I do “sexy trail runner” and “runner porn”, but that’s the Internet for you.

My runner’s story is a prime example of running related social media.  It extends my enjoyment of trail running with another enjoyable hobby of writing.  Perhaps posting these pics of my friends on the trail today enhances our collective experience.  That’s Keith in the first two pics, he’s navigating a treacherous snow-covered bridge in the second.  The trail was more mud today than dirt from Wednesday’s half foot of snow.  We could only average a 12 minute pace for ten miles.  Eve, in the third photo, dared to wear brightly-colored gear despite the mud.  She later said the conditions made her feel like a kid.  Jabe is clearly enjoying herself as she wades upstream on the trail in the fourth photo.  And the final pic captures our birthday runner Susan leading Jen in both conversation and running on the snow covered trail.

Susan and JenI missed snapping a shot of Suzy, and unfortunately she didn’t have time to join us for breakfast.  It was a two hour run.  I will say the real world social aspect of running beats this virtual social media stuff hands down.  The girls told hilarious stories and the food at that place was awesome.  So were my two Bloody Marys.  The virtual world is no substitute for drinking after a satisfying ten mile trail run through snow, ice and mud.  Sharing pictures is a nice benefit of social media.  It helps to remember the experience.  Not as good as being there though.

Big Weekend

26 Friday Apr 2013

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Boulder Half Finish LineAm I the only one whose weekends are bigger than their week?  Some Sundays I can’t wait for Monday to roll around so I can recover.  We don’t have to be talking about running.  My weekend’s invariably are jam-packed with events or projects or something.  This weekend is about running though.  I only ran every other day during this week.  I’ll squeeze in twice as many miles in two days beginning tomorrow than I ran in the five preceding days.

I could only make time for a 3 mile run yesterday.  So I ran it fast in my minimalist flats.  Averaged a 7:14 mile, which quite frankly has me a bit concerned.  That is way fast for me but I don’t know if there’s enough time before the end of May to pare that down to 7:00 flat for a 10K.  I did run my 3rd mile in 6:58 but my first mile was in 7:30.  I’m not sure I can start out faster than that which means I’ll need to run much faster on subsequent miles.  And the second mile in the Bolder Boulder is uphill and can be quite challenging after running the first mile fast.  I might have to reset my expectations to a 7:10 minute mile pace.  Tomorrow’s Boulder Distance Classic 15K will provide more feedback on what I can expect for a 10K on Memorial Day.

I’m following up tomorrow’s 15K with a 15 miler on Sunday because I have a marathon planned a week after the Bolder Boulder.  I need distance training more than speed at this point in time.  Running that 10K fast would be nice, but I need to survive that marathon.  Priorities.  Speaking of which, this weekend isn’t even about me.  It’s Ellie’s birthday weekend.  Presumably I should be making some time for her.  I will.  Big party Saturday.  Meanwhile, my Garmin is attached to a power source charging for tomorrow.

15K at the Boulder Res

23 Tuesday Apr 2013

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Boulder Half FinishI’m running the Boulder Distance Classic Saturday morning.  This is not something I had planned until a week or two ago.  I couldn’t resist the affordable registration fee.  It’s an unusual distance at 15K – or 9.3 miles.  I’ll leverage the event and crowd to make it a speed workout.  I might use the first mile to warm up and then see how long I can hold a 7 minute pace.  Maybe a 7:10 pace.  That’s probably more realistic as a speed I can maintain.  Shoot, a 7:20 pace would be an improvement and anything under 7:45 will be a decent speed workout.  So it’s settled then, a 7:30 pace.

Some of my Prospect neighbors will be running.  Jabe’s Running Group will be there.  I think I’m most excited that the course isn’t over the same old back roads of every other Boulder Res event.  Rather, it’s mostly trail and loops back around Coot Lake and the irrigation canal on the north side of the Res.  I haven’t run that trail since I had my Texas dogs, Teddy and Tara.  I miss running with those dogs; they used to keep me in shape.

Whatever pace I’m able to hold, I should try to maintain it for at least 6 miles.  That will make for an excellent Bolder Boulder training run.  I need to get out this week though to log some miles.  Never-ending night time calls to Japan and the rest of AP are getting in the way of my evening routine.  Work needs to settle down.  Or I need to start running around 3 in the afternoon.  That might be the answer.  Running must be prioritized with everything else if I’m going to meet any of my goals this summer.  Good Lord, I have a marathon in 6 weeks.  All this focus lately on speed; I can’t forget distance.  I need more time in the day.  While I’m whining, it wouldn’t hurt if it could stop snowing and warm up a bit.  Weather willing, I think I might follow up Saturday’s 15K with a 15 miler Sunday.  I do that, then I’m scheduling a massage with Shannon too.

I did get in 7 miles today.  Couldn’t run a speed workout on the LoBo Trail though.  The snow was mostly melted and because of that it was wet.  It was like slogging through a muddy river bottom.  Averaged an 8:19 pace and held that fairly steady.  My first two miles were both 8:14.4.  Exact to the tenth of a second.  That’s an official race photo above.  For anyone who ran the Boulder Half, the race pics are available at prints4sale.com.  Photographer Jason Powers caught two pics of me airborne.  I love that.

Lactate Threshold

21 Sunday Apr 2013

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iStock stopwatchMy training for the Bolder Boulder is a bit behind schedule.  Work, taxes, and other priorities have taken precedence.  I have four workouts now though that I have timed and I’m seeing a drop in my average pace.  I wouldn’t say it’s enough to note a drop in my lactate threshold, which is the goal, but I feel good that I’m measuring my progress.  I also gained some confidence after getting in a speed workout today.  It wasn’t a fartlek but rather a two mile warmup followed by three miles at my half marathon race pace, followed by a two mile cool down.

I averaged a 7:27 mile pace for the three miles I ran today at race pace.  I would say that is my current lactate threshold.  It compares with my three half marathons I ran this year.  I ran a 7:48 pace for Boulder, a 7:31 pace in Moab and a 7:23 pace at Austin.  I might not have enough time to lower this down to 7:00 even, but that’s my goal.  I have five weeks.

Mesa Trail

13 Saturday Apr 2013

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trail headI could do my taxes.  Instead I’m writing my blog.  That tells you most everything you need to know about me.  But this post isn’t about me.  I’m participating in a blog discussion with TrailRunner Magazine with the subject set as, “Can trail running develop into an unhealthy addiction?”  Wonder if there’s a social networking term for group blogging like this.  I know, TrailRunner Mag’s question sounds rhetorical.  Absolutely it can be habit forming.  Seems redundant though to say unhealthy.  Addictions generally carry a negative enough connotation with them rendering that adjective unnecessary.  Or is it?

Running by itself can be addictive.  The endorphins that release into the body after 45 minutes or so generate a nice buzz for the vain, skinny, hypocritical road runners who tell you they do it for their health – in between buying inserts from the local PT dealer and scheduling their next MRI.  The law hasn’t yet caught up to these junkies.

Let’s be clear though, trail runners are different from road runners.  We don’t sit around after our runs in a stoned stupor; our runs themselves are Henry David Thoreau inspired transcendental experiences.  A road runner’s addiction is a trail runner’s discipline.  If addiction represents a habit formed by incessant trail running, then certainly we are addicts.  We are not fair weather runners.  We fling spring mud and wander through winter whiteout conditions nearly naked in shorts.  Addiction is a tool leveraged by weak minded road runners in their hope to form a healthy habit.  The disciplined trail runner keeps the mind soberly focused on prepping the appropriate gear to the forecasts from their Weather Channel app.  The trail runner’s romp though adverse conditions and challenging terrain is as conscious a decision every time as the sun rising in the morning and setting over the horizon at dusk.  You will not find a more controlled and deliberate habit.

What could be unhealthy about it?  Are trail runners dazed in a foggy haze in social environs?  I lived in the athletic dorm one semester in college and recall a roommate who could talk about nothing other than his workouts.  I found him boring beyond belief.  Vain and narcissistic people find their way in sports.  There’s a reinforcing affinity between their personality and the workouts.  That’s not a result of the repetitive nature of running the trail day in and day out.  They’re simply self-centered.  The repetition that forms the habit – that establishes the addiction – is a beautiful thing.

To ask if trail running is an unhealthy habit is to suggest a healthy addiction is an option.  Have you watched an elite athlete run?  Up close?  I was following on the heels of 20 year old Katja Broecker in last week’s Boulder Half Marathon.  She passed me at 7 miles and I fell in behind her because her stride was so excellent, it sucked me in like a vortex.  She was mostly airborne, her feet touched down only long enough to satisfy the gods she was human.  I was behind and slightly to her right at 8 miles when she cut in front of me to grab a water at the aid station.  I was ready to throw my arms up to keep from colliding with her but instead she sipped her water at full speed, tossed the cup, and the space between us never closed by even an inch.  Who can do that?  I can’t.  That’s the exquisite form of an elite athlete and that level of skill comes only from training to the point your body has reached the level of art.  I have no doubt coming down from such a high is painful.  I know first hand what it feels like to be sidelined from injury.  The addiction left unfed worms its way through your mind until it’s destroyed all self-confidence.  Unwinding an addiction is ugly, but when it’s created beautiful art it can’t be bad.

trail feetKeith and I ran the Mesa Trail today from Eldorado Canyon to Chautauqua Park in Boulder.  And back.  About a 13 mile trail run over steep inclines and mud.  I know I’ve neglected certain things to be able to wake up early to run this trail.  Maybe it was asocial of me not to be out quaffing drinks with friends.  But if you ask me how I feel right now, I would not respond by saying I feel unhealthy.  I’m buzzed and I can’t wait to get back out to run it again.

Feet First

12 Friday Apr 2013

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chip time winSee that guy finish seemingly 6 seconds ahead of me?  Do you think his shorts are too short?  Via the technological wonder of Anti-USATF wormhole timing technology called chip time, I beat Chris Mihalik by 13 seconds.  You can’t see them but Mikki and Katja are up across the finish line ahead of me by 16 and 11 seconds respectively, panting like horses after the Derby.  Beat them too by 1 and 12 seconds respectively. Although after cyber sifting through the big race results data, I think the other girl I ran with is Dina Griffin, rather than Mikki, based on their halfway times.  If so, Dina finished strong to outpace me by 3 seconds.

The girls were out getting Ellie’s hair cut in Boulder, so I squeezed in an 8 miler for my first day of training for the Bolder Boulder on Thursday.  And per plan, I recorded the run with my Garmin.  I’m not going to bother linking to it, but the results are on my Garmin site.  I left the timer running about 7 minutes after I stopped running so disregard that pace on the last segment if you review it.  I did a 3 mile jaunt in my minimalist shoes Wednesday but that was a post Boulder Half recovery run in terms of loosening up.  Whenever I run that short, I take the opportunity to run in my minimalist flats.  Today was my first run based on my 7 minute BB training plan.

I went for distance because I had the time and could.  I felt good starting out and felt like I was going to run fast but slowed down after the first mile, mostly running a 9 minute pace.  Not an impressive start to my 7 minute pace plans but the distance was good.  One thing I did was concentrate on my foot work.  Whenever I did, I noticed my speed pick up.  What I mean by this is I would purposely block out all thoughts to focus on how I carried and landed my feet.  I concentrated on keeping my toes pointed downward and landing mid foot.  I could only do it for a few minutes at a time before my thoughts would drift to work or something else, but it was a good exercise.  I’m starting this 2 month training plan feet first and will move to fartleks when I have more energy.  I hope to be able to run fartleks at least once a week.  Maybe twice but I also want to have runs where I start out slow the first two miles and then gracefully speed up to my half marathon race pace.  I plan to run with my neighbors on the Mesa Trail Saturday.  That will focus on distance – likely over 10 miles.  Can’t ignore distance.  A week after the Bolder Boulder, I have a marathon in Steamboat.

Wave B

11 Thursday Apr 2013

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bibI registered for the Bolder Boulder Tuesday in person at their 29th Street Mall location.  I’d tell you where exactly at the mall but I want you to have as much fun as I did trying to find it in 10° and blowing snow that evening.  I went in person to request the starting wave I felt I should be in – wave B.  This maps to my plan to run a 7 minute pace.  Of course, they don’t let just anyone walk in from the street and demand their starting wave.  They looked up my recent performances.  First I told them to look up Sunday’s Boulder Half.  “Not fast enough.”  Next I had them look up Moab.  “That’ll be $54.”  I got my race bib to start in wave B – #B037.  I still held a card in my hands from a race ran at sea level this year that I was ready to throw down on the table if necessary.

It’s never been my style to be so concerned about a starting wave.  When I returned to road races a few years ago, I ran them at my workout pace.  I treated the events as sort of a celebration of my fitness but didn’t necessarily race.  With no expectations other than a workout, I’d casually stroll up to the start and line up behind the best scenery.  And that hasn’t changed so much with the exception of the Bolder Boulder that is coming up because I have made a project of sorts out of increasing my speed at shorter distances.  Nowadays I consider a 10K to be a shorter distance.  Maybe I shouldn’t refer to it as racing because a 7 minute pace won’t be competitive, but it’s fair to say I’ll be racing myself – or the clock.

I know from past Bolder Boulders that running back in the pack can really slow down your potential time.  Even if the wave is accurate for your pace, there will be tons of people you’ll have to pass.  It not only slows you down, you have to run farther by not running a straight line.  And it’s frustrating if you really do want to cruise.  I’ll tell you a worse story – not that it applies to this event.  I actually took 2nd place in my division at the Boulder Half.  This is according to chip time.  And really, what other time would count?  Well, apparently USATF sanctioned events go by clock time.  I beat 2nd place by nearly a half minute but he finished 6 seconds ahead of me.  He started on the line while I started in the back.  Whatever.  The rules are the rules.  At least I started behind some nice scenery.  Would have been nice though had they mentioned this detail in the FAQs, but I’m taking away from this experience that position matters.

I refer to this above as a project rather than a goal because that’s what it’s all about really.  The process.  I don’t intend to wake up on Memorial Day and hope to run a 7 minute pace.  Between now and then, I’ll perform the necessary actions to lower my pace by the requisite 30 seconds per mile.  Like Lance says, I’ll pump up the tires and fill the water bottles.  And on race day, I could dial in my time.  I’ll absolutely know what I can do before I do it.  Because I’ll have prepared for it.  Just like my buddy Keith followed a plan to gradually increase his distance before running his first marathon.  After he had run so many 20 plus mile workouts, Keith knew he could run 26.  He might have found religion in those couple of extra miles, but there was no doubt he could run the distance because he’d pretty much done it in the weeks and months leading up to the marathon.

I’ll do the same thing.  I’ll start wearing my Garmin on training runs.  I’ll be running a 7 minute pace on 8 mile runs before I line up on Memorial Day to run that pace for 6 miles.  So it won’t be arrogance or a cocky attitude.  There won’t be any nerves.  There’ll be some hope perhaps that I can exceed my expectations.  A 6 minute pace would be competitive at my age.  A boy can dream.