Green Mountain

23 Monday Nov 2015

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The last time I ran up Green Mountain, above the Flatirons, my foot clipped a tree root on the decline and I somersaulted into a ravine. Fortunately the poison oak broke my fall. Unfortunately I was shirtless, this was 26 years ago, and I had to scrounge around the plants for my car keys. As I climbed back up to the trail, I thought to myself, “How am I still alive?” After 26 years, I’m in good enough condition to run it again.

There are probably more Green Mountains in Colorado than there are Beaver Creeks. There’s a popular Green Mountain in Lakewood with ample paths, but this has to be the most famous Green Mountain for trail runners. I started out late afternoon from the Chautauqua parking lot and ran over Ski Jump Trail to reach the Gregory Canyon trailhead. From here it’s about a 3 mile, 2300 foot climb. I took Gregory Canyon Trail to Ranger Trail, which averages a 17% grade. I’d call the lower third 30%. The top half was mostly snow and ice. I was unprepared with my 1000 mile trail shoes and no nano spikes.

I met a couple in their young twenties at the top. They were hanging out next to this peak finder, viewing the Indian Peaks and getting stoned. Weed is certainly more convenient than carrying up a six pack. They told me they came up E.M. Greenman Trail. I figured if they could navigate it stoned in tennis shoes, it might be less dicey than the death trap I just ascended and made a loop out of it.

It was worse. I had to commit to a forward lean, about like skiing. If my ascent was a shuffle, my descent was a controlled slide. Only fell once but honestly I think I was running slower down than on the ascent. Conditions improved half way down and I was able to run a fast final mile over the cushy, pine needle carpet. I reached my car just as the sun sank over the Flatirons. I’m going to start running this trail more now that I’m in shape for it. But with my nano spikes.

Oregon Trail

20 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Eugene, Steve Prefontaine, trail running, travel

Guess where I’m spending Thanksgiving? Eugene, Oregon, where I intend to run as many of their world-renowned, urban running trails as possible. Especially Pre’s Trail. This is a tremendous bucket-list thing for a trail runner. Oh, and I expect to visit family over the holidays who moved to Eugene a year ago.

Second on my list will be to run the Ridgeline Trail, ideally from the Spencer Butte Trailhead. There’s a 1000 foot climb that I can run either over a .6 mile route or a 1.1 mile path. This trail runs around half the city.

Then there’s beer. Eugene is famous for its brewpubs. Comment with suggestions. Otherwise I’m looking at the Falling Sky Pourhouse and Ninkasi Brewing Company.

In case this isn’t enough, Animal House was filmed in Eugene. I understand the Delta House has since been demolished, but I bet there’s a $5 tour to be had. You might not be a fan, but this movie captures my memories of college. I even own the Animal House edition of Trivial Pursuit, gifted to me by a buddy.

Karen’s sister will have her house decorated festive for Thanksgiving, a comfortable respite from the daily grind for watching multiple days of college football. Brit and Ellie want to drive to see the coast. My focus though will be on the soft bark trails of Eugene. Can’t wait.

Fast Fall Run

14 Saturday Nov 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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10K, Longmont Turkey Trot, race results

The prettiest family in Prospect showed up in force to run this year’s Longmont Turkey Trot – the Paris-Hendershots. Joey ran a 7 minute pace in the 2 mile event. Half my neighborhood was out running either the 2 mile or 10K today. The weather started out cool, in the 40°s, but warmed up quickly with no wind and full sun. Times were fast with such ideal running conditions.

Coach Jabe ran the full 10K, lighting up the course in fashionable green. Keith and I warmed up with a mile before starting out. I’d have warmed up with 2 or 3 miles if planning for a fast start, but I was just looking for a good workout. I was hoping to run a couple of fast miles in the middle, but surprised myself by running a fairly constant pace. The course isn’t the most exciting. It’s a lollipop design that begins running north up a half mile stem, then runs clockwise around a square with one mile long sides, before returning back south down the stem. All through mostly flat farmland.

I ran my first 4 miles in 6:58, 6:57, 6:55 and 6:50. Almost perfect consistency while marginally improving. That faster 4th mile taxed me a bit and I slowed down to 7:01 on my 5th mile, while running 6:59 for my final 6th mile. I doubt I’ve ever run a more consistent pace. I finished in 43:13, just 3 seconds slower than this year’s Bolder Boulder – yet more consistency for my only two 10Ks in 2015. Abbie and I both took 3rd in our respective age divisions. A nice morning on a perfect fall day.

Brewfest

03 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Left Hand Brewery, race results, Shoes and Brews, Sole Mates 5K

The French have their wine. Russians have their vodka, the Brits their gin. Runners have beer. We think of it more as a food source than hydration, but like the libational cultures listed above, we drink it mostly for its communal properties. Say what you will of Colorado’s highly cultivated strains of indica and sativa, before the Internet and Facebook, beer invented social. So it should come as no surprise that this morning’s Sole Mates 5K and Brewfest actually began last night during the race packet pickup at Shoes & Brews.

If you don’t already know this, life is better with beer. Beer is better with friends. And beer with running is a dream team. That Ashlee and Colin decided to open up a specialty running shoe store with a taproom surprised no one in Longmont. They think they were so clever. I think they were idiots for not doing it sooner. Imagine walking into a pub where absolutely everyone is dressed like a runner, sports an unusually small ass, and even smells like a runner. No pretentious bullshit in this taproom, unless maybe you start discussing patrons’ times on the 800 meter beer board.

Ask yourself, how many packet pickups have you attended in a taproom? Oftentimes they are arranged along with a vendor expo, sort of like walking through the gift shop at the end of a Disney ride. But a taproom loaded with runners? And the next day’s race isn’t scheduled until late morning at 10am? This is the genius of Ashlee and Colin. Karen joined me in the taproom since we picked up my race packet on our way to dinner. She was happy to discover they also serve a Chardonnay. I drank the one beer they brew onsite – a Lumbersexual Flann-Ale. Think an Urban Woodsman meets Northern Brewer. Tastes and smells like a musky hipster sleeping in your malt room on a cold winter’s day. I stole that description from their menu. Karen and I continued on to dinner, meeting up with Brit and Ellie at Tortugas. Then Chris and Renee showed up and joined us. After dinner, we gathered with more friends at 2020 in our neighborhood. At some point I switched from beer to wine, but I don’t think that challenges my metaphor for this weekend’s race.

This 5K runs from the Left Hand Brewery on Boston Ave., to the Shoes & Brews Taproom. And they are pitching it as a brewfest. Despite the cool 40° weather, well over 300 runners line up. Good call as there is little wind and full sun. If I were running farther than 3 miles, I wouldn’t bother with tights. But I do wear running tights, a long-sleeved Under Armor jersey and running hat. Feels perfect. Chris and his daughter Julia took these pictures as they volunteered as road marshals around the 2 mile point.

Either they didn’t do the math or they didn’t care about squeezing 300 plus runners onto a hike & bike trail, but Keith and I weren’t able to start anywhere close to the line. This forces us to run slow the first half mile and I can’t complain. I end up running a PR 19:54 – a 6:25 pace – and took first for my age group. The slow start no doubt contributed. I wasn’t even tired at the end, even though I finished strong. Warming up with a slow start and gradually increasing your speed results in the best running experience. I’m surprised I was able to do so well with such an exceptionally slow start. I didn’t wear my Garmin and wish I knew my mile splits. Doesn’t matter, felt great.

Not sure if Keith ran a PR but he ran well too. That’s Longs Peak in the background above as Keith kicks it in. That’s assuming you’re even looking at Keith and not that girl’s glutes. I consider well-formed runners more art than sport. Susan seemed to enjoy her run along with Abbie and Heather. Those are all the friends and neighbors I saw. It doesn’t take long to finish 3.1 miles and by 10:30am, we’re all gathered in the Shoes & Brews parking lot listening to live music and drinking tap beer. I begin with a couple of Introvert Session IPAs 4.8% ABV from Left Hand Brewery. Before long, I’m drinking their Milk Stout Nitro 6% ABV. It’s not nearly noon and I’m lit up like a firefly. Fortunately I’m not driving as we leave for lunch.

Abbie is on the left and Susan the right in the above photo. Abbie ran with her sister-in-law Erin. We lunch at yet another brewpub – Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse, where I quaff a couple of F.Y.I.P.As. Yes, that stands for Fuck Your IPAs. It’s an adult menu. I miss the initial joke but somehow I get served water in a kids cup and so they think it’s funny to continue serving me in kids cups. I seem okay with it.

Defying Age

30 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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aging runners, Cross Country, LoBo Trail, speed training

I’m comfortable aging. Mostly. I know women think it’s funny to say guys don’t mature much after college but I’m not sure that I have. I feel young. To feel young running though requires a little speed. Racing in Colorado requires age-defying momentum. My races planned for the rest of the year will be shorter distances and I’m going to need to quicken my cadence to be competitive.

I’m not a nostalgic person – rarely do I ever reminisce here in my storytelling. I get nostalgic during runs though. The final two miles in long races, or simply workouts, triggers my memory like an autonomous muscle and I think back to high school cross country. Our races were still two miles long in Texas. I think they moved to the 5K distance a year or two after I graduated in 1980. I relive these high school races during the remaining two miles of a 10K or marathon. I often recall the state cross country course at Southwestern University in Georgetown Texas – it’s held in Round Rock now. It’s an extremely hilly golf course and one year’s event finished at the top of a huge hill. I finished second, by maybe only two seconds. When I relive the event, I find a way to win racing up that final hill.

I’ve gotten fast enough that I oftentimes find myself racing against youth in my weekend events. I get a kick out of it. I’ve learned not to leave anything for the final kick. Not that I don’t have the speed but I’ll strain my hamstring sprinting at the end. I learned this in last year’s Colder Bolder 5K. I should probably avoid 5Ks. I have to warm up with a 3 mile jog if I expect to run 3.1 miles with any speed. Sort of ridiculous but I figure it’s a 6 mile workout.

I’m thinking about this because my buddy Torin caught me from behind with two miles to go on my training run yesterday on the LoBo Trail. I ran 8 and I think he only ran about 5, but I was a little bit ticked. Partly because I had been running fast. Torin caught me when I was starting to cool down. Naturally I had to speed back up so we could could chat for a mile. It also irritated me because he’s my age. Boulder County must have the fastest fifty year olds in the freakin’ country. I don’t mind get passed by the shirtless CU Cross Country Team when I run the East Boulder Trail, but I feel like I sort of own this section of the LoBo Trail. I don’t like being passed on it, especially by fifty year olds. Time to begin some speed work.

Performance Enhancers

23 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Cannabis, Cialis, pickle juice, Viagra

I’m no better than Lance. If I think something will give me an edge in a race, I’m going to try it. Within reason. I won’t wear compression socks because they make me look like a school girl in knee-highs. So maybe I am different than Lance. Let me share with you my knowledge and experience with performance enhancers, starting with Cialis.

It just so happens that I have a prescription for Cialis. I don’t expect I’ll still need any six months from now but between you and me, I’ll probably think of a reason to tell my Urologist why I require a continuation of my prescription. My blog stats that report the search terms readers use who stumble upon my content report numerous queries for the affect of Cialis and Viagra on running. Out of curiosity, I finally searched these terms myself. Turns out Viagra was initially promoted as an athletic performance enhancer. Long story short, it’s the latest thing as there are currently no tests or bans. Brandon Marshall, an ex-Bronco wide receiver, is quoted here speaking on the pervasive use of Viagra as a performance enhancer in Pro Football.

I continued reading the Internet until I found some actual studies. The non-brand name for Viagra is Sildenafil. This is a PDE5 inhibitor that works by relaxing blood vessels which in turn allows blood to flow more easily – whether in the penis or the lungs. This first study is an extensive read but goes into great detail about just how Sidenafil works to enhance oxygen absorption at high altitudes. This second study is a much more concise read and suggests more clearly that these effects only occur at very high altitude – around 13,000 feet and higher. Pair this with the first study reporting that not everyone responds to these benefits. Oh, and consider that these drugs can affect your heart. I can actually think of races I’ve run at 13,000 feet. The Imogene Pass Run comes to mind. Mostly though I will rarely be in an event where this could possibly come into play. Same goes for you. And how embarrassing would it be to explain why you died from a heart attack due to taking Cialis or Viagra for your run? Perhaps most important to know, this drug is fairly expensive and only partially covered by insurance.

I carried three 3 ounce containers of pickle juice with me during the Denver Marathon. I struggle with cramps, typically near the 23 mile point, in marathons. I’ve had success by managing my electrolyte intake, but I still tend to cramp afterward. Drinking pickle juice is said to counter the effects of cramping quicker than anything else you can do. Supposedly within 90 seconds of drinking the stuff. Clearly your stomach hasn’t processed anything in 90 seconds, so it is suggested that the juice triggers nerves in your throat. Who knows?

I felt my legs come close to cramping late in the Denver Marathon and drank my pickle juice before the onset of actual cramps in an effort to stave them off in a preventative fashion. I swear to you this worked. I also drank some afterward as I was cramping and my cramps dissipated within seconds. Stuff works. I bought the 3 ounce containers at REI in their camping gear section for a couple of dollars and filled them up with standard dill pickle juice. This will be part of my marathon gear going forward.

Cannabis is a worthy topic considering I live in Colorado. I find this hard to believe but the World Anti-Doping Agency classifies weed as a banned performance enhancer. Seriously? Fast Times at Ridgemont High didn’t show Spicoli winning any track races. Apparently some study was conducted that indicates cannabis might enhance airflow to the lungs. In other words – pot is a bronchiodilator. I refuse to believe this but then there are other factors. They claim THC decreases anxiety (Indica maybe but certainly not Sativa) which can help athletes remain relaxed. So maybe marijuana helps some athletes in specific sports. Ricky Williams was certainly a fan of playing football stoned. Running is different. There is nothing specifically technical about running where focus or anxiety matters much. I do believe in the purported analgesic qualities of cannabis, but ibuprofen is likely more cost effective. Granted, pills aren’t organic.

My position is that cannabis is an experience enhancer. You might enjoy running more stoned than sober. Indeed, running creates natural endocannabinoids in your body, along with endorphins. Clearly, not with the intensity of a bong hit. I advise considering trails over high-traffic, urban areas when running stoned – to avoid cars. I just can’t accept cannabis as a performance enhancer for runners though. Nobody talks about it being a problem with elite runners. Anything that takes the edge off is fine for recreation but won’t help you win any races. If you think it helps you run faster, you’ve been smokin’ something. If they don’t dope race horses with it, then it’s not a performance enhancer.

Finally, I think listening to music is about on par with smoking weed. It’s an experience enhancer. I’ve actually studied my Garmin stats from running with and without music and my results overwhelmingly demonstrate that I run slower with music. Both in races and for training runs. I found that my pace was less consistent on runs while listening to music. Apparently I speed up to some songs but then slow down. I haven’t heard of others reporting on their measured experiences. I know everyone thinks they run faster to music, but tell me if you’ve actually recorded your stats.

Lastly, for anyone wanting to challenge my observations as unscientific, as anecdotal at best; let me just point out that you’re the one reading some inane blog for performance advice. You’re no better than Lance.

A Hard Run

22 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Denver Marathon, Shoes and Brews, Yogi Berra

90% of marathons is half mental. The other half is the course. The Denver Post reported Monday that massively slow times in the 2015 Denver Marathon were due to the hard cement course. Apparently, unyielding cement impacts the legs much more so than asphalt. Who am I to argue? This was a hard run in more ways than one. The fatigue so familiar to the final six miles came to my legs a good ten miles early. I found myself walking 100 meters or so every mile after 20. I nearly completed mile 26 without walking, until I slammed into a lady toting her suitcase in the street. Some marathons are fated to suck. This first photo above is at 4 miles, the photo below is at 23 miles – both on the never-ending river of concrete.

I conveyed my disappointment in my earlier blog on the marathon last Sunday. I can tell you I’ve already forgotten about it. The trick to sports is selective memory. I just completed 8 fast-paced miles in the cold, October rain, and that’s all I remember. Quickly forget the bad runs and move on. Really, all runs are hard. Some are just slower than others. The experience would be lost though if you don’t take away some lessons learned. For me, I will try to avoid cement hike and bike trails in future marathons. I suspect cement is a poor choice for the half marathon distance as well. I struggle enough as it is on asphalt roads. I train exclusively on cinder trails.

Maybe there are other lessons to be learned. I wore my camelback for the third time and as usual drank about 20 ounces. That’s about half what experts say I should drink but I didn’t cramp during the run. I cramped a bit afterward. There’s part of me that thinks I should make an effort to drink more but I drink to thirst and my belly feels full. Not sure if my light fluid intake is an issue. I’m curious if wearing cushy bottom shoes mitigate fatigue much on hard surfaces. I avoid big-bottom shoes because I try not to land on my heel. I like to maintain a short stride. I believe this reduces my incidence of injury. Right or wrong, my legs suffer from ridiculous fatigue in road races. I appreciate comments on this but suspect I just need to experiment. The next event that I know will be on a mix of asphalt and cement (and snow and ice) is the Colder Bolder in December. That’s only a 5K but maybe worth trying some soft shoes to race in. I see a trip to Shoes & Brews in my near future.

South Platte River

18 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Marathons, Running

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Denver Marathon, race results

I trained this summer with the intensity and focus of an obsessive-compulsive with Asperger Syndrome. Friends and family questioned my sanity. I sweated out ten pounds in the High Plains heat of July and August. My end goal was the Boulder Marathon. I was satisfied with that run, it was my best marathon from the ten I have run since 2010. Call me greedy, but I just can’t let all that training go without squeezing in another run – and today is the Denver Marathon. I know my training is no guarantee of a good marathon, two of those previous ten went horribly wrong. I hit the proverbial wall in the Austin 2011 and Steamboat 2013 marathons and took over 4 hours to finish. I developed arthritis in my symphysis pubis from the Denver 2010 race. I think about all my previous marathons, good and bad, as I ride the shuttle to the race start at Adams County Fairgrounds. Marathons can be brutal, but I feel good about this one.

It’s not enough that the Denver Marathon is run at a mile high in altitude. This year’s course is entirely uphill from start to finish. I was initially irritated by this as I only learned of the course change after registration. I’m maintaining some optimism now after more careful study of the elevation chart. It only rises a little over 200 feet, maybe 600 feet total elevation gain, over 26 miles. With the exception of what appears to be a sizable hill after 9 miles, I probably won’t even visually notice the incline. Hope my heart rate is equally blind.

The major difference over previous years is that rather than running through beautiful and classic old Denver parks and neighborhoods, this year’s course runs upstream along the South Platte River – from Brighton to Downtown Denver. The marathon will launch from a section of trail termed the Colorado Front Range Trail – part of a proposed 876 mile path stretching from Wyoming to New Mexico. Despite the cynicism that accompanies age, I’m hoping for a picturesque, fall-colored, riverfront experience. On paper, the 18 mile South Platte River Trail flows through significant industrial parks and waste treatment facilities. It might be more aptly named the Commerce City Marathon.

I left my iPhone at home so I won’t have any photos. Just as well I show the Denver Marathon logo to note that this will be the final Denver Marathon, at least for the Rock and Roll series. They can’t get approval for the requisite road closures. They’ll continue to run the Half. I start out feeling good and on pace. My goal is to run under 3:30. My first 10K is nearly perfect at 47:50 – about a 7:50 pace. I maintain this for the half, again running almost perfectly to plan at 1:45 with an 8 minute pace overall. Problem is, I start to feel fatigue at 10 miles. I run miles 9, 10 and 11 at 7:53, 7:51, and 7:50 respectively, but slow down to 8:13 for both miles 12 and 13. And this is where the wheels begin to fall off. I slow down to 9 minute miles by mile 16, and the 3:30 pace sign passes me.

I begin running a 10 minute pace by mile 18, slowing down eventually to a 13 minute pace after mile 20. I walk parts of the final 10K and finish in 4:05. My 3rd worst time ever and my 3rd marathon over 4 hours. The fun was over by the half way point and finishing was pure hell. My legs, specifically my glutes, had zero power after 13 miles. I feared this in the back of my mind because my runs have been like this for the last two weeks. I might have strained my glutes in the Jamestown Hill Climb. I’m pretty disappointed but happy I finished. I don’t take these marathons for granted. You can be in the best shape ever and run a poor marathon. I know that.

I suspect strained muscles as my biggest issue, but there could have been others. My age division ran horribly. My Boulder time would have finished 3rd here. I still finished 17th which is hard to believe. The winner barely broke 3:30. So maybe it was the heat. It warmed up into the 70°s and the course had no shade whatsoever. General consensus from talking to others afterward is that this course sucked. It felt so long running out in the farmland north of Denver. Things hardly improved in Denver. Pipes spewing industrial waste into the South Platte were pervasive. And the smell running past the treatment plant was disgusting. This course essentially ran through Denver’s toilet. The South Platte Trail running through Downtown wasn’t exactly spectacular either. Denver’s urban trail system is awesome, but this course wasn’t the showcase.

Maybe I’m being bitter because I had a bad run. Or a bad second half. But then there was the idiot lady who walked in front of me with a metal suitcase at the 26 mile sign without looking. I hit her suitcase hard. Still can’t believe I didn’t go down, but it was a momentum killer for sure. There was no kick after that.

Might take some time off from running to heal. Absolutely everything hurts so much right now. I might be burned out on running. Winter sports are calling me. When I think I can do stairs again, I’m going to check out my snowshoe and snowboard gear in the basement.

Coal Creek Trail

11 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Louisville Trail Half Marathon, race results

I lived in Louisville during the mid ’90s. I always considered it more of a suburb of Boulder than Denver. I appreciated their ample hike and bike trails but never ran on this particular trail along Coal Creek. Of course, that was back when I could count my annual runs on one hand. I get out a little more often nowadays. I’m out here this morning at Louisville Community Park to run the Louisville Trail Half Marathon on the Coal Creek Trail. Karen captures this first photo here about 100 yards after the start.

This second photo is the same spot but on the return from the first 4 mile loop. That’s 44 year old Grant Nesbitt running on my heels, where he remains the entire race, finishing 22 seconds behind me. There’s a 10K and 5K sharing the course with a different configuration, but the half itself is a decent size with 180 runners. Being a fall race in Boulder County, I expect it to be competitive. It is as I find myself behind 20 runners by this point, and it’s a large gap between me and number 20. I run my first three miles in 7:17, 7:18, and 7:19. I’m happy for the steady pace but had a loosely defined race plan of starting out at an 8 minute pace. I’m not looking at my Garmin, it’s in my pocket, but I know I’m running too fast because I’m in oxygen debt. I consider slowing down but the sound of Grant’s footsteps has me in race mode.

This photo is just a few steps past the previous, and captures the typical landscape view. This trail is really nice. It’s mostly groomed cinder with a bit of cement near bridges. Since I’ll be running the Denver Marathon next Sunday, this is just a training run for me. Being a race with other runners, I do expect to run somewhat harder than I might working out by myself. That’s the point of registering for these events – a good workout – but shoot, this pace is fast for me. I run mile 4 in 7:05 and mile 5 in 7:06. I know I’ll slow down eventually and that’s fine. Just looking for a good distance workout.

Immediately after the 5th mile, the course’s one big hill begins. And it’s fairly sizable, about a 400 foot rise over a quarter mile. The far side drops in half the distance. I pass one runner on the ascent and another on the descent. I’m surprised because they were out of view for the last couple of miles. This slows my 6th mile down to 7:27, I figured at the time, since I wasn’t checking my Garmin, that I slowed down to an 8:30 pace for the rest of the run. Instead I run 7:17 for mile 7, 7:32 for mile 8 and 7:47 for mile 9. The photos above and below are on the final kick.

I get passed by 55 year old Chris Levine at mile 9. I can tell by his gray hair that he’s about my age. I really don’t feel like racing, I just want to coast in – so I let him go. I end up passing him back though as we return over the massive hill, which slows me down on mile 10 to 8:03. Chris is slowed down from some cramping. I keep this pace to the finish running mile 11 in 8:20 and mile 12 in 8:19. The course ends up just short of 13 miles but my final stretch is at a 7:40 pace.

I finish in 2nd place for the 50-59 year old division with a time of 1:37:23, and add another pint glass to my collection. This is about the time I was expecting although I didn’t expect it to hurt quite this much. The weather was hot for an October race, in the 60°s. I run into Bob Kania afterward, a work colleague. His wife ran the half. Bob’s a few years older than me but he’s always been extremely fit and could pass for 10 years my junior. In addition to being a good training run before next weekend’s marathon, this race reinforces for me the need to start out slow. I’ll target an 8 minute pace for Denver next Sunday.

Cross Border Data Flow

06 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in cyber war, Geek Horror

≈ 4 Comments

The U.S. completed their Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal yesterday. If signed by Congress, this will lower trade barriers to the import and export of physical goods. How quaint in the Information Age. Today, the European Union Court of Justice declared the U.S. Safe Harbor policy for demonstrating compliance with the EU Directive for Data Privacy to be invalid. EU 1 : Pacific Rim 0.

I don’t know of the availability of any stats that show the value of global trade in information vs physical goods bought and sold, but I’m willing to guess data is at least more strategic if not already more valuable. Explaining the details of the EU Data Privacy Directive, Safe Harbor, and this new ruling isn’t my objective here. Much of it is very legal in nature and over my head. My goal with my cyber security series is to offer a basic primer on topics I deem of interest. At issue here is data privacy, specifically personally identifiable data or PI.

My 13 year old daughter is uncomfortable with the notion that data can never be fully erased with any certainty. I don’t know why or how she developed this very specific concern, likely something to do with the proliferation of online photos. She is totally aware of the EU’s Right to be Forgotten ruling wherein citizens can demand their online references be deleted by digital firms such as Google and Facebook. Understand that the EU considers personal privacy to be a basic human right.

The irony here is in the arrogance of any U.S. citizens who think we invented personal privacy. Indeed, the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” Or stated more plainly, “Each man’s home is his castle.” Well that was written over 200 years ago. Post-911, the U.S. has conceded leadership on the personal privacy front to Europe.

I probably shouldn’t reveal what I really think because I suspect I’m on the wrong side of history here, but I will. I don’t believe in personal privacy. I want it to a degree but I certainly don’t think of it as a basic human right. I can assure you there was little to no personal privacy when humans were living in caves. Were Adam and Eve not born naked? And yet I do like the 4th Amendment. I believe we need a balance between personal privacy and the benefits that the sharing of personal information ascribes to a society – like security. An example of that is the Patriot Act. This latest EU ruling impacts a more commercial benefit, such as advertising.

I don’t think I’m alone on this one. Anyone reading this is online and therefore highly likely also surrendering a large degree of their personal data privacy to social networks. You’ve probably granted Facebook complete digital rights to more family photos than your parents ever collected in photo albums. There are benefits to sharing. And I don’t believe we ever, ever had complete personal privacy; so I don’t think of it as a basic human right. No man is an island. In the end, I imagine personal data privacy will be determined more by technological capabilities than regulation. Your data is only as secure as your encryption. I’m interested in comments.

Jamestown

03 Saturday Oct 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Backcountry Pizza, fall colors, Grossen Bart, Howlett Gulch, Jamestown Juggernaut, Joe Howlett, Merc

The roads are wet this morning from overnight rain as I drive up Lefthand Canyon to Jamestown. If you’re a biker, then you’re familiar with Ward and Jamestown – both popular bike ride destinations uphill from the Greenbriar north of Boulder. Ward splits to the left on the drive up while Jamestown is 9 miles uphill to the right. The road actually continues all the way up to the Peak-to-Peak Highway. I stop though and park across from the Merc in downtown Jamestown. The town is covered in clouds but they begin to clear by the start of the race, revealing patches of blue sky. Awesome running weather with 50° and no wind or precip.

This race really started last night at the Großen Bart Brew Pub. Chris and I quaffed a couple of drafts while we talked running. That qualifies our outing as a strategy planning session for this morning’s 2.5 mile, 1000 foot hill climb. I drank a Chin Curtain IPA (7.7abv) while discussing my tactical plans for charging up the hill. I later drank the Friendly Mutton Chop Marzen (6.6abv) while strategerizing with Chris on future marathons.

This is the inaugural Jamestown Juggernaut Half Marathon and Hill Climb. All proceeds (of which they generated over $4000) go to local flood victims. The starting line is drawn across the road at Howlett Gulch. Joe Howlett was the previous owner of the Merc and lived at this spot until the raging 2013 flood carried him away, still in his house, down the gulch. We honor him with a moment of silence before singing the National Anthem. The race starts off with a 12 gauge shotgun blast at 8am. This is a mountain town.

I run the hill climb rather than the half, partly because I want a good hill workout and partly because I don’t want to be too tired for the CU-Oregon game later tonight. Karen and I are meeting Jed and Gretchen at 5pm at the Backcountry Pizza and Tap House. We’re eating early to make time for the Wolfe’s tailgate outside the stadium. Game starts at 8pm.

I have a decent start, running my first mile in 8:35. The road turns to dirt after this, and much steeper. The average grade for the entire 1000 foot climb is rated at 7.1%, but I suspect the second mile is over 10%. I run my second mile in 11:46 and hold that pace to the end for a total 25:24 over the 2.5 mile hill climb. Most of the Boulder High School boys cross country team finish ahead of me, but I passed a couple of them during the final mile. They are rated 4th in Colorado and 16th nationally. I think I could walk on if I were to focus on these shorter distances. Awesome fall run in the mountains. How was your morning?

Silver Linings

27 Sunday Sep 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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fall colors, Grand Lake, turning aspens

Anyone who has ever talked to me for more than five minutes will tell you I can appear obtuse. Like a child not listening to his parents, sometimes my focus is elsewhere. But after awhile, even I can take a hint. Saturday’s WSJ had an article on aged travelers. The lead story in this weekend’s Barrons is on financial planning for aging parents. And my aging, 80-plus year old in-laws drove up 1100 miles from Austin to spend the weekend. 80 is the new 60. This is them in the photo above, today in Grand Lake, Colorado. So this blog post is about aging runners; something I can speak to from experience.

Tip number one for aging runners, dress your age. Cover your glutes and wear a freakin’ shirt! You might be proud of your flat abs but old man skin has a sheen somewhere between dull and nauseous. Think of the children. Golfers wear a collar. It’s not cricket for runners over 50 to go shirtless.

Make no mistake, older runners are competitive. And fast. A 50 year old, Johannes Rudolph, took third place overall for men in last weekend’s Boulder Marathon in 2:52:05, while the first 20 year old finished close to four minutes behind me. This might be more anecdotal than scientific, but I find race results to be much more competitive in the 45 to 65 year old age divisions. It makes sense that we regain our lives back after the kids become self-sufficient and the career plateaus.

Next tip is to race in the same shoes you train in. I’ve learned that even when I intend to run hard, there’s no sense in wearing minimalist racing flats. There might be exceptions in some 4 mile cross country race where spikes are needed, otherwise your tendons don’t need the stress. You’ve probably learned by now it’s better to wake up at the same time every morning, even on weekends, than to sleep in. Maintain consistency in your shoes too. This photo above captures Karen with her Dad.

My return to running the last few years already makes me feel young. Races transport me back to high school. I don’t have to compete with younger athletes though on every level. They can run shirtless. Let them run barefoot. My focus will remain on mitigating injury. Taking off six weeks to recover is the same nominal stretch of time for kids as it is for seniors, but we lament the time lost as if we may never return to running again. There’s a desperation with age, like sand pouring through the hour glass while Dorothy wears her red slippers. I know that I cherish my runs.

Injury happens though. Make the most of it. I could only walk for five weeks last year after my prostatectomy, and had to limit my running distance to just three miles for another five weeks after that. I came back six months later to run my fastest marathon ever. That time off was arguably good for me. Prior to surgery I developed a worsening knee injury. My physical therapist, who was supposed to be teaching me how to urinate again, instead focused on my running concerns – at my request. I tell you this in confidence so don’t share that with my insurance provider. She taught me several exercises for my abductors and adductors, which I continue to perform nearly daily, that strengthened my knee. If you have to abstain from running, use your time constructively to strengthen your core or other muscle groups you typically ignore. Of course, it doesn’t have to be injury. Work or other life events can also take you out for weeks or months at a time. Know that three weeks won’t impact your conditioning. If longer, you’ll need to do something. You can do planks anywhere, anytime.

photo removed

As you can see in these photos, we drove up to Grand Lake today over Trail Ridge Road to view the turning Aspens. Gorgeous day. You might notice I finally stopped trying to look young and whacked my hair off. I had a business trip that sort of required a more professional look. Had it been to the west coast, I’d have kept it long, but it was to the east coast. I’ve decided to grow a beard though when I turn 60. I never have before because it grows in colored patches. That looks as bad as it sounds. But my hair should be entirely gray in a few more years. Silver linings.

Good Form

23 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Boulder Marathon, Denver Marathon

I’m really happy with this race photo – taken by Renee Price at 13.1 miles into the Boulder Marathon. It’s not the old man, fleshy double chin that makes me happy, rather the position of my feet – toes pointed downward. That’s good running form. This demonstrates I’m not over striding and landing on my heels. For me to be maintaining such perfect form half way through a marathon leaves me pretty impressed with myself. The goal of my ultra distance training miles this summer was to promote optimal calorie consumption during a marathon; a bonus benefit was to my running form. It wasn’t always obvious while running long miles so slowly, but repetition is the key to learning.

I began working on my form three years ago in an attempt to remedy plantar fasciitis. I shortened my stride, easier said than done. I even trained sometimes in minimalist shoes to promote a shorter stride and frontal footfalls. Haven’t worn those in a long time – they come with their own set of issues. The benefit of good running form isn’t just that it leads to running faster. More importantly it helps mitigate risk of injury. And I’ve been injury free for a couple of years now.

The benefit of being injury free isn’t only continued enjoyment of a favorite hobby, it enables continuous improvement. My speed improvements are marginal, but I can’t begin to describe how satisfying it feels to progressively perform faster as I advance in age through my fifties. This photo captures me running along the irrigation ditch trail at 10 miles into the marathon – 3 miles before the previous pic. It displays my left foot landing a bit turned outward. I’m aware of this lapse in form (from race photos) but don’t seem to be able to correct it. My right foot lands fine.

My next training focus might be hills. The Denver Marathon in October is entirely uphill. What sort of nut job race director charts out a marathon course completely up hill? At altitude? Who does that? It looks like maybe miles 3 and 13 might be downhill. The course runs up an apparent 90 foot cliff at mile 9. I have a month to prepare.

I’m looking at some other events as well. This fall weather is just too perfect not to enjoy outdoors. There’s the Jamestown Juggernaut Trail Half Marathon, October 3rd. It includes a separate 2.5 mile, 1200 foot vertical hill climb – speaking of hill workouts. The next day is the Blue Sky Trail Marathon in Fort Collins. The options are never ending. Comment with some suggestions. What are you planning to run this fall?

Boulder Backroads Marathon 2015

19 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Boulder Marathon, Marathons, Running

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Boulder Backroads, Boulder Marathon, Boulder Res, Gadi, race results

This morning’s Boulder Marathon is what all my massive mileage training is about. Over 600 miles in the heat of July and August. Last weekend’s relay race over Georgia Pass has me feeling confident. Although, working 13 hour days in New York all week and only exercising less than 60 minutes in aggregate on hotel aerobic machinery has me questioning my taper plan. My legs should certainly be fresh. Hopefully the unabated restaurant and bar calories will find purpose twenty miles from now.

Chris and I start out together the first half mile. We’re both wearing shorts and tech t-shirts without gloves despite the 47° starting temperature. It will warm up 1° per mile; we couldn’t ask for better weather. Chris is running the half marathon and surges ahead of me in the first mile. I’m not wearing my Garmin, it’s recording stats but in my pocket. I’ll relate my mile splits here but I don’t know them while I run. I run my first mile in 7:42. The only bad start in a marathon is one that goes out too fast. This is probably too fast but it is mostly downhill. The next five miles are up hill.

Still, my next four miles are in 7:23, 7:32, 7:49, and 7:49. I watch Chris this whole time race about 200 meters ahead of me against two guys in blue and one in yellow. There are less than 400 runners between the full and half marathons, so we’re completely spread out after two miles. Chris drops the two blues before hitting Niwot Road at three miles and runs even with the yellow guy until five miles. At this point, Chris surges and increases his lead over me to a quarter mile. The yellow guy surges a couple of minutes after Chris, but never again reaches him. Chris sees me after a goofy loop-back turn off Oxford Road and puts on a massive surge that takes him out of sight for me until I see him at the half finish. This photo shows his kick near the end.

Chris finishes 5th in his age division and 34th overall. I think the half is more competitive than the full. You get a sense of how fast Chris kicks in this finish photo based on how high his feet are off the ground. His 1:33 is a personal record.

I cross the half six minutes behind Chris in 1:39 – which is a good ten minutes faster than I expected. I see this time on a clock at the Boulder Rez. This is surprisingly fast in a 7:30 pace but I feel strong. I run much of the second 10K with Gadi, a runner who recently moved from Israel to obtain his Masters in Psycology at Naropa University in Boulder. We talk much of the time but he finishes at the half. I’m certain at this point I can run a second 13 miles, I feel that strong. I do expect to slow down on the upcoming hills and do by a minute to an 8:30 pace as the third 10K gains elevation again.

My legs become heavy on the final uphill mile, the 19th mile, but I pick my pace back up at twenty miles. Some other runners begin to surge here, sensing the downward slope. I don’t get into a race though because I know I won’t be able to hold it. My goal all along has been to feel comfortable the entire race, which is why I don’t monitor my watch. I pass a couple of runners on this final 10K and one passes me. After 22 miles, the course turns off Niwot Road onto a trail along an irrigation ditch. The gravel feels like hot coals under my tender feet. This begins my slowdown as my stride significantly shortens.

I tend to describe bonking or hitting the wall in terms of running out of fuel, but this is how it feels. All the muscles in my abdomen and upper legs begin to melt. The heaviness and burning from lactic acid would be preferable to this sensation of vanishing body parts. My slowing pace is like a dream where I’m running but moving in slow motion because I don’t have control. I picture my blood cells moving into my muscles and stealing away without replenishing the lost proteins. It’s a brutal scenario where momentum is only maintained by leaning forward and hoping my legs drop in front of me in time to catch my fall because I haven’t the ability to contract my thighs and lift my knees. I don’t bonk necessarily here but slow down even more at mile 24. This slowdown is more from heavy legs – not nearly as painful as hitting the wall.

The cheering crowd steers me toward the finish line like sirens to the rocks. I yank my Garmin from my pocket at the 26 mile sign and notice I’m close to a 3:30 Boston Qualifying time. I didn’t plan on sprinting to the finish, but pick it up a bit anyway for the final quarter mile. I cross in 3:30:05. Five seconds off qualifying for Boston! This doesn’t actually bother me though because I wasn’t trying to run this fast. Even with my slowdown the final two miles, this marathon was everything I hoped it would be. I felt great. I’m totally satisfied. I never bonked. And my second half was only ten minutes slower than my first, not a bad margin. Good enough for 12th place overall, although only 4th in my age division. 50 year olds are fast in Boulder. I would have either won or taken second in just about every other age group. I complete my day with a massage at 3pm, a steak dinner at 5, and I’m watching CU go into overtime against CSU. Awesome day!

Flaming Foliage Relay

13 Sunday Sep 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Boulder Marathon, Flaming Foliage Relay, Georgia Pass, silverthorne, Sunshine Cafe

A black Infinity is parked outside my front door Friday morning at 4am. This is my ride to Idaho Springs, where I’m expected to launch the first leg of our Here Kitty Kitty relay team’s 165 mile, 30 hour race across three Colorado mountain passes. I sit up front and comment to Keith we have to stop meeting like this for these sleep-deprived, weekend socials.

We’re entered in the masters division – meaning over 40 years old. To be competitive at this age, shoot to be half-assed athletic and running period, is a statement. That’s less obvious in Colorado where it seems everyone is so incredibly fit. But then my world might suffer from sample bias. I seem to attend events where everyone looks a lot like me. There’s no Xbox on the trails. The runners on my team though are exceptional. Elite amateurs. Semi-pro, masters-class runners. I’m not intimidated necessarily but feel special to be included, flattered to hang with them. Joining me on Here Kitty Kitty are Keith, Jen, Steve (all neighbors) and Kristin, Jill, Eve, Carolyn and Tom. We’re joined by a second ultra team, Flaming Oven Mitt, with Beth, Ken, Rafe, Brian and Joie.

My kickoff leg starts at 6:30am from a parking lot in downtown Idaho Springs. I have to wear a safety vest and lights as the sun has yet to fully rise. Only three other runners launch with me in my starting wave. It’s a fast start, likely due to excitement but I suspect also to stay warm. The September mountain air is crisp and ideal for running. I regret my fast start almost immediately as we climb a steep single track trail to a bike path that leaves me gasping for oxygen the rest of the 4.5 mile run. Our route follows I-70 toward Georgetown with long, rolling hills. My intent is to run an easy warmup pace but somehow I average 7 minute miles. I credit the cold air and initial race-start buzz. My plan was for a warmup and to save my legs for my second leg, but this strong run gives me confidence.

I hand off to Jen. Because our team is short a 10th runner, Jen runs two back-to-back legs, 7.1 miles into Georgetown. Jen was part of my Longs Peak climb two weekends earlier. She hasn’t been running much this summer. She’s a busy working mother of two, running her State Farm insurance agency in Longmont. After recent trips to Europe and Minneapolis, she’s back home and ready to run. She does regular bootcamp workouts that leave her core strong, and she’s simply a natural runner. She has no problem with this high-altitude, uphill run into Georgetown.

Jen hands off to Keith who begins the climb up the course’s first mountain, Guanella Pass. His 6.1 mile route is scary steep but Keith is a strong hill runner. He knows how to find his zone and maintain incessant forward motion. Keith is a poli-sci professor at Colorado State, teaching their honors program in Ft. Collins since 2002. His daughter recently graduated CU-Boulder and his son is now attending CSU, leaving Keith and his wife Susan empty nesters. Running nearly thirty miles without sleep for two days gives him something to do with his new-found free time.

Keith hands off to Kristin, still on Guanella Pass Road. Kristin is a school teacher, also with two kids. She jokes about leaving her husband Brad with the kids while she plays in the mountains. Truth is, she often gets her husband and kids up here. Skiing seems to be the one sport her entire family enjoys the most, but Kristin is a big-time mountain biker. Brad and Kristin even lived in Summit County for a few years early in their marriage. I didn’t know Kristin before this weekend and learn that she’s an incredible athlete. She soars up this mountain road as if it’s flat.

Kristin hands off to Jill. This completes the running by the team members in my van – officially Van #1. I don’t get a chance to speak much to the runners in Van #2 although Jill rides with us to Exchange 5 because there’s not enough parking for both team vans. Like Kristin, Jill is a school teacher. I discover what an extremely strong runner Jill is after she summits the seriously steep final stretch of Gaunella Pass for the team. I know I would have had to walk it. Glad I ran the first leg.

Jill hands off to Eve, pictured here, who begins the descent down Guanella Pass. The rest of our team in Van #2, Carolyn, Tom and Steve, run jeep roads, cattle trails, and finish up on the Colorado Trail at the Jefferson Creek Trailhead. Their trail runs are challenging and unfortunately poorly marked with signage. The official race course descriptions are poor at best and navigation is as difficult as the terrain. Eve is an accountant and is married to Brian, an engineer with Crocs who is running with the ultra team. I learn Carolyn owns Panorama Coordinated Services in Longmont. Tom is the founder and CEO of Threatwave and is a stud trail runner. Steve is in product marketing at Rally, a software development firm in Boulder.

Those of us in Van #1 feel certain we have the best legs. We run less on busy highway shoulders, enjoy more opportunities to dine at real sit-down restaurants, and we finish first. It goes without saying that we are better looking. Without question, both our vans sleep more than the ultra team in Van #3. And again, we are considerably better looking.

Our ultra team launched 90 minutes before us and remains ahead of us the entire event – some of Boulder County’s most bad-ass, masters-class runners. I see them for the first time at the Jefferson Creek exchange. Brian’s legs are bloodied from falling on the trail. Beth leads the charge up Georgia Pass, pictured here near the start of her run in the thick trees of the Colorado Trail. Beth is a social worker well known for her very real and hilarious running blog. Click to enlarge this pic and tell me those aren’t runner’s legs. Beth runs the 4th fastest time of all females in this relay over Georgia Pass. Other members of her ultra team are Joie and Rafe, Brian’s life-long friend from Albuquerque. I don’t get an opportunity to chat with Joie but hope to run with everyone again in future events where we can become more familiar.

Jen and Kristin, sitting together here at the Jefferson Creek Trailhead, meet for the first time on this relay and become instant friends. Our entire team, both vans, are able to meet at this exchange to wait for Steve to finish and me to start. They tease me later because I’m as antsy as a schoolboy waiting to begin the run over Georgia Pass.

It’s a long story, from my first snowshoe adventure over Georgia Pass to the relay two years ago that was cancelled due to the great flood, but I’ve been waiting for my chance to own this hill. And I don’t mind telling you that I absolutely kill it. The slope up the eastern edge of the pass is quite runable – if that’s a word. My type-ahead feature thinks not. The slope is graceful enough that I am never forced to walk. There are even short downhill dips where I’m able to surge. My slowest mile uphill is 13 minutes, which I consider pretty speedy for running up a mountain at 11,000 feet. Oddly enough, my slowest mile overall is near the bottom of the west side running downhill in 14 minutes. I scream down on my descent but by the bottom my legs are so fatigued that I have to slow down for safety. Falling might hurt. This run is everything I could have asked for, satisfying years of anticipation.

The relay runs through Breckenridge, Frisco, Leadville, and finally ends in Buena Vista shortly before noon Saturday. There are so many more stories to share. I won’t, mostly to protect the guilty but also so I can watch some football and prep for a travel week. We ate at some good restaurants, like the Sunshine Cafe for breakfast pictured here. We spent the night at a condo in Silverthorne to recover – and drink. I suggest clicking on my link to Beth’s blog for an entertaining recap of the ultra experience. Wonderful weekend overall. Next Saturday is the Boulder Marathon.

Course Prep

07 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Boulder Backroads, Boulder Marathon

I don’t think I’ve ever trained as much for a marathon. The one sensible item left unchecked on my list was to run the course. I ran the half marathon loop on the Boulder Backroads Sunday morning. The full marathon is simply twice around the same loop. This is smart prep, although I’m a bit psyched out now at all the rolling hills and by how slow I ran. But I knew it would be a slow course, I’ve run it before.

The course exits the Boulder Rez onto 55th St. and heads north. The gravel isn’t exactly thick, but it’s heavier here than on the backroads further north. And much of the road contains those ripples so common to gravel roads. Less than ideal but I wouldn’t complain about it. Preferable to the mile or so of asphalt on the next section – Niwot Road. This road presents a slight rise west bound and of course a nice downward slope on the return. Except that the east bound section is half the distance as it comes out from a different road. Pavement won’t present much impact though given such a short stretch. Pavement won’t impact runners at all who are used to training on it, I never do. And of course, pavement is faster, so there’s that.

In fact, if I were considering racing hard, I’d probably accelerate on Niwot Road – in both directions – to capture the speed of the pavement. My favorite racing tactic is to take whatever the course gives me. I slow down up steep hills to maintain a steady heart rate and accelerate through the downhills. The dirt roads north of Niwot Road are super nice for running. Very little gravel. After running the course, I expect my two returns to be my fastest times. The course goes out uphill the first 10K, back downhill the second 10K, and then repeats. Certainly my second 10K will be faster than my first. Not only will my first 10K be uphill, but I’ll be warming up. It’ll be somewhat amazing really for my fourth and final 10K to be faster than my third. Twenty miles is when I typically begin to fold like a cheap card table. But the second loop contains some hills early that the final 10K won’t have. My Garmin stats will be interesting.

I’m considering going back out there this morning to run the loop again. That, or putty and paint some house damage from the puppies. Probably both. This photo is of Karen and her cousin Matt; we met for dinner last night at the Old Capitol Grill in Golden. Matt and his wife Debbie are visiting their son who is attending Seminary. If you think I run some crazy events, Matt runs ultras. His next event involves running around a one mile loop for 24 hours to see how far he can go. I think I’d get dizzy but Matt says the loop contains enough turns that you don’t notice. The really crazy thing is Matt only trains three days a week with 8 to 10 mile runs. And he runs marathons all the time. I understand that running only 30 or so miles per week is all one should run in terms of health, but what would I do with all my extra time? Enjoy your Labor Day.

Longs Peak

31 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Colorado Trail

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14er, boulder field, Estes Park, keyhole, Oscar Blues, RMNP, the narrows

I set out Saturday afternoon with my neighbors, Keith, Jen, Steve and Scott, to hike Longs Peak. We are pictured here eating in Estes Park before camping out near the trailhead. The allure of Longs Peak has been haunting me for years now. Ever since I climbed my first peak back in 2008 – Mount Garfield. I say “haunted” because of the apprehension this trek stirs in hikers as they commit to plans. As the northern most 14er in the Colorado Rockies, I see it every day outside my window. The trailhead in RMNP is a 45 minute jaunt from my house. But not a year goes by without reading about some hiker in bluejeans and cotton hoodie dying from exposure. Or being blown off the peak by a gust of wind. To be fair, this trail takes its share of experienced hikers and climbers too; although there is a strong correlation between victims and cotton wearables. Every section of trail is popularized by name. The Boulder Field. The Keyhole. The Ledges. The Narrows. Those names alone will spook you.

We reserved a 7 camper backcountry permit to camp at Goblins Forest. Turns out, there was 8 of us as Steve invited 3 friends, Parker, Robert and another Keith. The rangers were none the wiser as they close at 4pm and we didn’t pitch our tents until around 8:30. Goblins Forest is a little over a mile in from the trailhead. It turned out to be an awesome site with plenty of room, even a vault toilet. Smoke from the Western State forest fires obscured the stars but the weather was fairly warm. A couple of the guys slept in hammocks. Jen imitates Reese Witherspoon here in Wild with her backpack loaded up.

We initially planned for a 3am start. There are several reasons for this. As one of the most difficult class 3 14ers in the country, Longs Peak is crowded with most hikers hitting the trailhead between 1am and 3am. It’s a long, slow hike, mostly above treeline, and the early start is needed to avoid the typical afternoon thunderstorms. Steve’s buddies had some experience hiking Longs Peak and recommended we wake up at 1:30. We did and hit the trail by 2:30am. As you can see in this photo, we’re all wearing headlamps.

The headlamps weren’t always needed above treeline as the full moon illuminated the trail. And we weren’t alone. We followed a trail of lights from other hikers climbing up the Mills Morraine into the Boulder Field where the sun finally rose. This photo captures the sun rising over Mount Lady Washington and the Boulder Field as I scramble over the Keyhole to the western side of Longs Peak.

Our timing was perfect in terms of light and crowds. Our campsite was a little over a mile from the trailhead, giving us a 12.5 mile hike. This made us part of the main wave of hikers. Anyone driving up and arriving by 1am will easily find a parking spot at the ranger station and trailhead, but will have a 15 mile hike. Arrive after 3am and you will find yourself parked a mile down the road; possibly still fine in terms of beating the afternoon showers but you’ll have a 17 mile hike. For us, the sun began to rise as we entered the Boulder Field and gave us ample light as we passed through the Keyhole and traversed the mile or so through the Ledges, Trough and Narrows to the peak.

Click on the photo above to see Scott making his way across the Ledges. You’ll be able to make out a path marked by bullseyes painted on rocks. There is no trail, simply these paintings for you to target as you make your way over a steep slope of rocks generously termed a ledge. Trust me, this was some scary shit. I can’t imagine people hiking this at night with headlamps, unless perhaps it’s better not being able to see the 1000 foot drop. Click to enlarge this picture of Jen hiking the Ledges and tell me if this doesn’t scare you. Longs Peak is considered a class 3 hike for scrambling but no ropes. But the level of scrambling is intense – over a mile non-stop to the peak. And the Ledges is just a warmup for the really scary stuff. Next comes the Trough, an 800 foot climb over loose boulders.

This photo captures Steve’s buddy Keith at the bottom of the Trough. Note the bullseyes – here again there is no discernible trail. You just make your way the best you can. The crowds of hikers slow down at this point to under one mile per hour. If you arrive late, then the wave of hikers will be coming down while you ascend, kicking an avalanche of small boulders down at you. Heads up. Scott turned back at this point as his knee gave out on him. He was fine since he’s hiked to the top of Longs Peak before. It is said only 20 percent of hikers ever complete the trail to the top. I suspect it is a much smaller percentage who ever consider hiking it twice. In terms of difficulty, the Keyhole is a portal to hell. Several levels through Dante’s Inferno with increasingly dangerous and brutal scrambling.

Seriously, check out this photo of Keith and Jen climbing this granite wall made slick from thousands of previous hikers’ boots. If you don’t have some basic mountaineering skills, don’t consider hiking Longs Peak. I didn’t see any kids on this trail. This is not a family hike. Just imagine hitting a wall of granite on your path and looking up to see a bullseye painted 20 feet over your head suggesting the way forward. The 1.3 miles from the Keyhole to the peak was a series of increasingly scarier challenges. This was more an obstacle course than a hike.

One point in the Trough is termed the Hoist, because there’s no way the average hiker can climb it without a little help. Beyond the Trough was the Narrows. This is where Jen sensibly turned around. I nearly did and would have if Jen had asked me to stay with her. The Narrows aren’t termed a ledge because you can’t stand straight up on most of it. You have to lean into the cliff wall and grab onto handholds as you make your way across several hundred yards of slick granite. It’s mostly single file and ends with the Homestretch, a several hundred foot climb to the peak. The return was just as brutal in reverse. I had to slide down much of it on my bottom. I didn’t begin to appreciate this hike until hours later while safely drinking beers at Oscar Blues in Lyons. I’m crossing this 14er off my list and won’t be coming back.

Indian Peaks Wilderness

23 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Colorado Trail, Running

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Brainard Lake, forest fires, Indian Peaks, Longs Peak, Mount Audubon, RMNP

Wow! What a difference dropping my mileage down to normal makes. After dropping from 100 to 50 miles, I’m running fast again. It doesn’t hurt though that the temperature has also dropped – down to what I consider football weather. Call me foolish but I even ran without my hat and sunscreen. And the kids returned to school this week. It just keeps getting better. I ended the week by hiking in the Indian Peaks Wilderness with Ellie today. A bit blustery up there.

In fact, the intense wind kept us from climbing to the top of Mount Audubon. Couldn’t complain though because the wind also swept out the smoke from the Washington State forest fires. You can see the smoke in several of the photos if you click to enlarge them. The high altitude smoke was thickest north of us over Rocky Mountain National Park. Ellie has some asthma related issues so I checked the Colorado air quality index before committing to the hike. We saw a bull moose here next to Brainard Lake during our first few minutes starting out.
Ellie and I found ourselves constantly adding and removing gear. The temperature was fairly cool starting out, although the trees shielded us from the wind. The climb quickly warmed us up so we stowed away our coats and hats in our backpacks, only to put them back on along with gloves once we rose above tree line. Same routine in reverse on our descent. The flat topped peak above and to the right of Ellie’s head in this photo is Longs Peak. I’ll be hiking up there next weekend with some buddies.

photo removed
This is Mount Audubon directly over Ellie’s head in the photo to the right. We climbed nearly up to the snow field before turning back. On the way down we turned north onto the Beaver Creek trail for a short ways and bushwhacked over to a rock cropping to catch the views. The entire hike was about seven miles because we started from a parking lot one mile before the Mitchell Lake Trailhead. Looks like a brand new parking lot with restrooms on the east end of Brainard Lake. They’ve done a great job improving the parking in the Brainard Lake Recreational Area. I didn’t see any cars parked on the road like in days past.
This is Beaver Lake behind Ellie in this photo. Karen and I have snowshoed near there on the Sourdough Trail before. Ellie and I also hiked around Brainard Lake a bit on the return. Ellie couldn’t get over how blue the water was. Mountain lakes are absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to get back up here next weekend to hike Longs Peak.

100 Mile Echelon

15 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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100miles, Boulder Marathon, IntaJuice, Marathon Training Program, massivemileage

This was big. Running the Boulder Marathon in September will feel anticlimactic. I’m even willing to admit I scheduled that run simply as an excuse to run 100 miles in one week as training. I’ve always wanted to attempt a massive mileage training plan and now I’ve done it. The higher distance weeks – 90 and 100 miles – were easier than I expected. I started at 60 miles and climbed my training echelon with 10 mile steps until I reached 100. I lost confidence somewhat between 70 and 80 but suspect that was heat related. The standard advice is to increase your distance every week by 10%, which mirrors my plan. I won’t have a sense of how effective uber distance training is until I run the marathon. I’m not expecting to run faster, rather hoping to run more comfortably. Specifically over the final 10K. If you’ve ever run a marathon, then you know how unpleasant those last six miles can be.

The waiting period between ending my massive mileage training plan and determining the results feels miles long to me. I’ll have to find something else to blog about for the next four weeks. My taper plan isn’t nearly as well defined as my uber distance plan. The actual miles will be serendipitous, 35 to 50, and ideally faster. Likely 8 mile runs on weekdays rather than 12. I won’t bother making up lost miles when I miss a workout due to a long work day. I’m not concerned with losing my conditioning. As for the weekends, I’ll be hiking Longs Peak with my neighbors. And I have a trail relay coming up. There’s always something.

My feedback on having trained massive miles is the following. I suspect most of the fatigue I felt was due more to the summer heat than lack of recovery. I felt great on cloudy days. With that said, running Saturday mornings after a late Friday afternoon run was always my most difficult workout. So hard for an older man to sufficiently recover with less than 24 hours. My best guess is I averaged a 9 minute mile pace; a bit slow for me but fine for my objective of distance over pace.

I also have a sneaking suspicion I’ve become addicted to the endorphin effects from running. I certainly have not experienced euphoric highs. Running is not morphine. For me it’s more of a calming and analgesic effect. I hesitate to say addicted, but the thing is, despite some brutally painful runs in the heat, I totally look forward to my daily runs. People have commented to me they are so impressed with my motivation to keep going but honestly, it’s become a fast moving train that’s hard to jump off. I’ve subconsciously prioritized it above so many likely more important things. Ultra distance running is quite possibly a disease. I’ve also become addicted to fruit popsicles. There are no popsicle guidelines published online but I suspect four after dinner is too many. I have no plans to abate my consumption but I do recognize the problem.

I believe I’ll see the benefit from running two to three hours at a stretch in my form. The repetition leads to optimal form. I imagine the opposite could be true. If I had a serious defect in my form, the longer runs would have quickly led to injury. Question is, will I be faster or slower? My stride length is set in concrete now. My cadence varies based on the heat index. Sort of wish I would have worn my Garmin during this training program. I didn’t see the need since I knew my distance and wasn’t expecting fast times. Pace wasn’t and still isn’t a goal, but I’m a bit interested in terms of expectations. I’m certain I’ll be able to run the marathon under four hours. Hope I run under 3:45. I recall my last Boulder Marathon being around 3:55. It’s a slow course.

Finishing up my 100 mile week with a 20 mile run was less than glorious. Combination fatigue from Friday afternoon’s 12 miler and this mornings’ heat. I walked a bit. The cold water irrigation ditch where I typically dip my hat with 3.5 miles remaining was dry. Started vomiting at 19 miles. Scared Karen after I dropped to the kitchen floor with cramping thigh muscles and screaming. I diffused that situation by sending her on an IntaJuice smoothie run. This photo is me afterward recovering in bed with my banana-strawberry smoothie. Mostly better now.

Grand Lake

09 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Colorado Trail, Running

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Boulder Marathon, CDT, continental divide, IllegalTrailRunners, massivemileage, RMNP, training plan

The last thing I remember Friday night was looking up at the stars, undiluted from urban light sources, high in the Rocky Mountains outside Grand Lake. Sleeping cowboy style, I dodged fallin’ stars aimed straight at me. I finally tucked inside my tent after midnight once the temperature dropped. Rob and I camped out here to hike a 25 mile segment of the Continental Divide Trail. The accuracy of CDT maps are specious as my Garmin captured 29.5 miles. Fortunately the weather was cool, between 40° and 60° so that our water lasted through those final four unplanned miles.

Grand Lake sits at the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, and is also part of the headwaters to the Colorado River. A quaint mountain town with wooden boardwalks and expensive but good restaurants, it’s worth a stop if you’re near Rocky Mountain National Park, or the Winter Park ski resort. Grand Lake anchors the southern end of Trail Ridge Road. Rob and I ate surprisingly good Mexican food at El Pacifico. After two large margaritas, I was seeing stars.

The 25 (29.5) miles would complete my 90 mile running week, for a total 510 miles of my massive mileage Boulder Marathon training plan. I run 20 miles today to begin my 100 mile week – the final week before I begin my taper. I can still report no muscle strains or injuries. Keeping my fingers crossed. I’ll start some strength training and work on my pace once I cut my miles by half.

We got some decent running in Saturday on the trail. This section of the Continental Divide Trail is a loop that begins and ends at the North Inlet Trailhead outside Grand Lake. It’s contained within the southwest corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, so permits are needed for camping. We stealth camped, setting up our tents shortly after dusk to avoid the Park Rangers. We encountered a number of group backpackers who camped along the trail. One father was trekking his kids on a 3 day outing, targeting 8 mile days with their heavy packs. There is a Big Meadow trail that shortcuts the CDT, forming a slightly shorter 24 or 25 mile loop. Sporting light packs, we ran about two miles worth of the big loop. The coolest part was running across the alpine tundra among the rock cairns above 12,000 feet.

Another cool section of trail was this burn area on the northern part of the loop. Would have been hot without shade but we benefitted from partial clouds and 60° temperatures. I’m happy mixing up hiking with my running. I count the miles toward my training plan because hiking with Rob at high altitude is little different than running. We maintained a 3 mph pace for essentially a 50K ultra. Ascending above tree line had my cardio going. I imagine I burned well over 3000 calories over the ten hour hike. Once I finish my coffee this morning, I’ll set out on a 20 miler on the LoBo Trail to begin my 100 mile week.

Anniversary Workout

29 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Betasso Trail, massivemileage

You would think I might go the day without training to celebrate my 28th wedding anniversary with Karen. That’s not how a runner thinks. I managed as many miles during the week as possible, 72 miles, leaving only 8 more miles for Saturday. Then I ran earlier in the morning than typical with my running buddies while Karen was out teaching her aerobics class. My second 80 mile week is now complete. I then carried on with the day’s scheduled events. Lunch with Karen, a couple’s massage, and a movie – Mission Impossible. That massage complimented my training nicely. This photo captures Rychie and Steve as they descend the Betasso Link Trail. We ran both loops for a 9 miler. This was their first time running Betasso and they loved it.

Six weeks of my Boulder Marathon training plan are now behind me with 420 miles. My running buddies asked me how much weight I’ve lost since starting. Two pounds. That hardly seems right does it? Granted, I’m not trying to lose weight but I did expect it. I’ve more than doubled my weekly mileage. I can only assume I’m eating more calories. I’m guessing it’s all the smoothies and fruit popsicles. Real fruit contains real sugar and that’s been an addition to my diet since I started this plan.

Tomorrow begins my first 90 mile week. I’m still planning to only run 90 miles for one week and then jump to 100 miles the following week. Then start my taper two weeks early. This modification to my plan has two benefits. It reduces my chances of repetitive muscle injury or stress fracture. Some people can train hard for years on end. I know my body and I’m not one of those people. Quite frankly I’m surprised that I don’t feel any strains yet. Could be I’ve improved my running form well enough. Or could be because I started out in fairly good shape.

The second benefit of ending my massive mileage plan in two weeks is I’ll have more weeks to work on my pace with the shorter runs. The fatigue from these long runs has dramatically slowed my pace. It takes me four to five miles to loosen up whereas I generally find my stride after two miles. I’m running so slow right now I risk toppling over in strong winds. I haven’t been timing myself but I can feel the pace. Once I return to 8 milers I intend to drop my pace back down to under 8 minute miles. I’m so close to completing this plan, I’m excited to see the results in September.

Massive Mileage in Moderation

25 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Adam Goucher, Boulder Marathon, Inta Juice, Marathon Training Program, massivemileage

I was drinking beers with a couple of my running buddies Thursday at The Well – conveniently located two blocks down the street from my house. Our conversation turned to my Boulder Marathon training plan, AKA the massive mileage training plan. My friends think I’m nuts, although they are impressed my body is holding up to the stress. So am I. I completed my first 80 mile week today with an 18 miler on the LoBo Trail. I’m feeling the fatigue. Sometimes my knees buckle from weakness on my initial steps after standing up from a chair, but nothing feels on the verge of injury. More difficult than the physicality of running the extreme distance is making the time. I can squeeze in 60 miles easily enough but 80 miles is where time becomes a real factor. Thankfully Karen is cooking most of our dinners. I just show up hungry.

Steve asked me what my objective is with this massive mileage. I get the sense everyone thinks I’m still pushing myself as compensation for my cancer last year. I don’t think so. I did initially, consciously. I set my first race to be a marathon in order to have a meaningful challenge. And I had a little something to prove in the Bolder Boulder since my surgery caused me to miss the 2014 event. But I’m happy with my recovery and I’m over it. And I’m not trying to set some speed record. In fact, I suspect this distance is slowing me down. I do hope to run in the top of my range – 3:30 to 3:45 – but I’m not trying to PR.

I have two reasons for this plan. The first is that I recently read Running with the Buffaloes. That CU Cross Country team put in massive miles. Adam Goucher ran 100 mile weeks and went on to win at the NCAA Nationals. I wouldn’t call that book a great read, in fact it reads about like this blog. Chris Lear simply captures every workout of the season. But I have a tendency to get excited by sports stories. Shoot, I’m easily influenced by books. I do have some discipline. I read both Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto in College. Despite the liberal college setting, I thought they were both full of shit. Maybe it’s just sports stories that get me so excited. I made my plan immediately after reading about the CU Cross Country team.

My goal, my second reason, is that I hope this mileage will make me feel comfortable running the entire marathon distance. I begin to fade around 18 miles. Or 2.5 hours. Quick marathon math has you burning 3000 calories over the course. The typical marathon runner probably can’t store more than 2000 calories. Likely much less but this gives you around 1000 calorie deficit. And trust me, you can try eating ten 100 calorie gels during the race but your stomach can’t process that much in such a short time. So 18 miles, give or take, or 2.5 hours, is when many runners tend to bonk. I’ve bonked as early as 16 miles. My hope is that my body will adapt to the distance with this massive mileage to burn calories more efficiently during the run.

My previous training focus has been on nutrition and getting in at least one super long run (18 to 20 miles) on the weekend. I’ve had success with both. But running massive weekly mileage is something I’ve never done, not even back in college. I worked myself up to 70 mile weeks the summer before my final season and experienced decent success from that. I’ve always been smitten with the thought of running a 100 mile week. Problem is, I’m starting to doubt I can hold this plan. I just completed my first 80 mile week today with an 18 mile run and I’m exhausted. I’m not sure two weeks at 90 and then two weeks at 100 is viable. But I really want to try, I’m so close.

I’m thinking of modifying my plan. I’ll do 80 again next week per plan. Then only run a single week at 90 and a single week at 100 – rather than two weeks for each. After that, drop all the way back down to 60. This might keep me alive for race day. As much stink I raised in a previous blog challenging U-Curve studies, I actually believe in them. Drinking, running, everything in moderation. I saw my Chiropractor yesterday. I didn’t have any issues for him, and he didn’t find any, but this was a proactive, preventive maintenance component of my training plan.

Today’s run was brutal. 18 miles in blistering heat. I saw Jabe, Eve and Susan on the LoBo Trail around 3 miles. And Spot. Not sure how far they ran but Spot was feeling it. I drove directly to Inta Juice afterward and downed two 32 ounce smoothies with protein for an 800 calorie liquid lunch. I followed that up with a pedicure. Two absolutely brilliant post-run decisions. This photo above is of me last weekend on the CDT with Gray’s and Torreys in the background – which Brittany just summited yesterday. An active summer for all the Mahoneys.

The Route

19 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Colorado Trail

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Breckenridge, CDT, Colorado wildflowers, continental divide, Frisco, Horseshoe Basin, Keystone, massivemileage, Salomon Speedcross 3, The Continental Divide Trail, trail shoes

The Continental Divide Trail isn’t as well marked with signs as the Colorado Trail, and much of what I hiked this weekend with Rob wasn’t marked by trail at all. The CDT along the mountaintops above Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon and Keystone is essentially a route. So few hikers travel this twenty mile section of alpine tundra that there is no trail. The entire width of the mountaintops define the path. Where I’m standing in this photo, the route is about as wide as the length of a football field. Clearly, it narrows across that hill behind me. This photo captures the pathless trail and general conditions above 13,000 feet as Rob and I hiked from Argentine Pass to Georgia Pass Saturday.

We didn’t have much snow to worry about. This photo shows one of the larger snow fields we encountered, but we were able to hike alongside its edge. Good thing as I wore my running trail shoes for this effort rather than hiking boots. I wanted to test out my trail shoes, even though I knew they would fatigue my feet much more than boots. The Salomon Speedcross trail runners are awesome. I don’t think they have a rock plate, but their sole is strong enough to step across sharp rocks and their tread never slipped once for me. I did notice some hot spots, but this was after 8 hours of hiking. We completed the twenty-plus mile jaunt in 10.5 hours.

Everything was so green, even above treeline where the ground oftentimes turns to moonscape rock. The Cushion plant moss was easily 3 inches tall in places. The Alpine Sunflowers and Forget-me-nots were thick, and the Marmots were quite fat as well – presumably from eating the lush grasses and flowers. This photo captures Rob in a mountaintop field of Alpine Buttercups.

I can’t say enough just how stunning the views were on this hike. We spent at least eight hours hiking above treeline. I applied the 20 miles to my weekly running goal, giving me 70 for the week and a total of 260 miles toward my marathon training plan. We hiked an additional six miles this morning which I’ll apply to this coming week’s 80 mile goal. 74 more miles to go over the next six days.

190 Miles

11 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Colorado Trail, Running

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apple cider, Boulder Backroads, Boulder Marathon, Boulder Res, massivemileage

I completed week three of training for the Boulder Marathon with 70 miles, bringing my total up to 190 miles. Surprisingly, the wheels haven’t started to fall off yet. I have another six weeks before I reach 100 weekly miles though, so I can’t say I’m there. This week almost felt easy until today. I kept all my runs at 12 or less miles but ran 16 today in some tough heat. The most difficult part might be running in the morning after a previous late afternoon run. Not enough time to recover. So I maintained a slow pace today, which was likely smart in this heat.

I also got in a nice 6 mile hike on Audubon Trail, in the Brainard Lake area on Thursday. I took the day off to spend time with my niece Jessy who drove in from Iowa. She’s in Vail now for the weekend with her boyfriend Brian and Brittany. Always nice to have family visit. Nicer still to get in my first mountain trail hike of the season. I have some more aggressive hikes planned later this month and for August, including Longs Peak.

Finished the day on the front porch. Goddard came over and drank beers with me. Until we ran out and switched over to Brittany’s apple cider. Quite refreshing and 5% alcohol. Who knew?

120 Miles

03 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Boulder Marathon, Caballo Blanco, DAM, Denver Botanical Gardens, health benefits, massivemileage, Micah True, Wicked

This photo from the 2015 Bolder Boulder captures how I’ve been feeling during my 120 miles worth of running over the last two weeks in the summer heat. I completed another 60 mile week today – week two of my 13 week plan training for the Boulder Marathon. I had to squeeze in 60 miles in only four runs since Sunday. I had to commute to Denver for training Monday and Tuesday which didn’t leave time for working out. Then Karen and I are spending the weekend in Denver to see Wicked and the Denver Art Museum. And possibly the Botanical Gardens. Ran 21 Sunday, 10 Wednesday, 14 Thursday and 15 today. Hope I don’t have these sorts of time challenges going forward when my mileage increases. I like long runs, but not every time. This photo also captures how my left foot turns outward when I’m fatigued. Not very pretty form but I’m working on it.

I saw Dave and Amy biking on the LoBo Trail after two miles. Apparently they don’t spend the first hours of the morning drinking coffee and reading the paper like me as they were just finishing their ride. I also saw Steve on my return in nearly the same spot, maybe a mile further between Ogallala Road and 83rd. Steve was running with his dog. They have similar form.

My body is holding up fairly well after two 60 mile weeks. It’s fatigued but I can’t point to anything that feels like a pending injury. Haven’t lost any weight. I’m good at replenishing lost calories. Karen is worried about me wearing myself out. Along with my mom. Karen had her dad talk to me about the health benefits of ultra distance running. Basically, there aren’t any, but I know that. I don’t do this year long, only to prep for marathons. I’ve never put in this many miles though, assuming I complete my plan.

The medical studies, which my father-in-law pointed out to me, fall into two areas. The first are studies that suggest ultra endurance training, coupled with your genetic makeup, can lead to a higher incidence of heart disease, such as cardiomyopathy or enlarged heart. This is what killed Caballo Blanco (Micah True), the famed ultra distance runner from Boulder. I don’t tend to run over 35 miles a week, at least not for prolonged periods, so this is not something I worry about.

The second set of studies suggest a U-curve graph around the negative health benefit of running less than or more than 35 miles per week. Or in that range. I find the symmetrical nature of U-curves specious, suggesting inherent sample bias. The studies I’ve read in the paper or have been able to google don’t have control groups. They simply record results from volunteers. They have many less results from people running much longer than 35 miles because really, how many nut jobs do you know who run 100 miles per week? Sample bias is when smaller sample populations appear as outliers because the larger sample essentially establishes the average. I’m not a scientist and I failed college statistics, but I have friends who are scientists, so I’m like one degree of separation away from knowing what I’m talking about.

I’ll take this further. Correlation is not causation. You can show that people who run less than the average runner or more than the average runner live shorter lives, but you can’t say it is due to the miles. Figure people running less are possibly more obese. Anyone running 100 miles a week is clearly obsessive and likely displays many more characteristics that could just as easily be responsible for their shorter lifespan. They likely drink more, experience more dramatic weight loss and gain, get more speeding tickets and have more sex partners. They are doomed to a shorter but highly satisfying life.

Part of Karen’s concern for me is that I look so bad after finishing some of these long runs. Click on that picture to enlarge it and you’ll see the pain in my face from fatigue. Anyone who hikes or runs with me knows how I grunt loudly and am generally highly expressive when I hurt. It’s part of my pain management routine, but it doesn’t mean I’m dying. Just sounds and looks like it at times. I did well today staying hydrated during my 15 mile run and am doing everything possible to recover for our weekend stay in Denver. I drank a protein smoothie after my run. And just dropped 10,000 IUs of vitamin D and 20 mg of Cialis. I’m expecting fireworks this weekend.

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