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The Art of Slow

26 Saturday May 2018

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Heil Valley Ranch, Lichen Loop, Wapiti Trail

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“I’m in no rush.”  That’s what I told myself today as I parked at the trailhead.  I should be back on the LoBo Trail where I belong, but I deferred a run last October to this October.  The course runs upwards of 60 miles through Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon.  Over three days.  We’re in summer today, I felt it, but fall is up next.  I need to train on a mountain trail.  But I could give up thoughts of constant running today, on this trail.

At Heil Valley, I always warm up on the Lichen Loop.  I was out early enough to avoid direct overhead sun.  My current state of fitness won’t let me enjoy running up to the top of the Wapiti Trail.  I ran over a mile of it but didn’t make it to the top.  I don’t think it matters.  I just need to run up and down a mountain trail.  Doesn’t matter how I do it.  Could be more of a power walk, with stops to drink water.  Sometimes it was.

Part of the technical aspect of running such a rocky mountain trail requires attention to control.  For me, control highly correlates with slow.  Part of my plan already.  I was good.  I carried a water bottle, that’s how slow I started out.  I don’t know if I ever actually increased my pace, but I felt like I did at times.  Steep trails kill.

So I walked when needed, knowing that I would before I ever stepped out of the car.  I would try to run when going past other hikers and bikers.  Think what you want about me, appearances matter.  I typically pass bikers on the way up.  Not today though.  Probably not for a couple of months, if I train.  I ran strong though at times.

Whenever my lactate level would allow, I’d unwind over the dirt and rocks, and when I exceeded my lactate threshold, I either slowed down, or, with increasing frequency, I walked. Even the walking was a training experience.  Both cardio and  technical.  I re-introduced myself to trail running today.  It’s going to be an uphill climb, but starting is the hardest part.  And I’ve started.

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I know that I developed a pattern of streaking through sunlit meadows faster than the darker woods.  It just seemed smart to expose myself to the unrelenting rays of the sun today, as little as possible.  At times, I swear I could see beams of light slicing through the grass in front of me.  I think this photo above proves I didn’t imagine it.

I think, never stopping to walk with full sun exposure, was what got me home today.  Could have been the difference.  Hard to say sometimes whether it’s the heat or the hill.  Today it was both so I optimized my slower running to cooler parts of the trails.  That’s environmental leverage.  And because I carried water with me, I practiced a little hydro management too.  Point is, pace doesn’t matter.  Everything on the spectrum from walking to running  today counted toward the training I’m going to need for October.

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Running and walking with control, which is harder than you think on the downhills when you do it fast, meant that no matter how slow and controlled my pace was, I was getting something from it.  Technical training from my foot placement decisions.  Cardio from my random pace and the hills.  As I passed an older couple, one called out something to me and I replied back with something witty that made them laugh.  Then I laughed.  Going slow allowed me to take photos.  It was a good run

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In Between Jobs

28 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Heil Valley Ranch, trail running, Wapiti Trail

wapiti trailWhat did I do on my one day off, the start to my three day weekend, in between jobs?  Seriously?  You have to ask?  I went on a trail run.  Six miles up and down the Wapiti Trail at Heil Valley Ranch.  Gorgeous outside too, with 50° and full-on sunshine.  I wore shorts and a long-sleeve T.  The weather will turn to snow around 6 or 7 and the temperature will drop to below 30° later tonight.  Good thing I could run early.

I would have enjoyed taking a week off between jobs but CenturyLink wanted me to start as soon as possible.  They were going to have me fly to DC the first day but they couldn’t pull that off for a new hire.  Would have been nice to meet all the team face-to-face but sort of glad because it likely would have required traveling on Sunday and I want my three day weekend.  Just sort of hanging out now, setting up my new Mac Mini, merging photo libraries from various other machines.  Fun stuff.

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Zero Wind Day

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Colder Bolder, Gun Control, Heil Valley Ranch, Wapiti Trail

colder boulder 3About time Colorado cools off to winter status.  Although the only reason it was cold enough in this pic to wear tights for this year’s Colder Bolder 5K was that it was early morning.  I love it when I get a race pic with both feet in the air.  It’s right up there with getting a pic that doesn’t show a double chin.  Click on the pic to enlarge it if you need to in order to see both feet are indeed off the ground.  But then you might also notice the double chin.  I downloaded five race pics – all capture a double chin.  Still, race pics with both feet in the air is like flying in your dreams.  Like unicorns in North Korea.  They are magical.

Those massive California rains turned into snow over Colorado and this week felt like winter.  At least at the start of the week it did; we’re back above freezing now.  I used the cold as an excuse not to run.  I actually don’t mind the cold, especially when the sun is shining, but I balk when the cold is combined with strong wind.  I used being busy at work as an excuse this week too.  Emphasis on the word excuse since I think I just didn’t feel like running this week.  I don’t think I’m burned out.  Maybe I just shifted my focus to preparing for the holidays.  Those Christmas cards don’t sign and mail themselves.  The holidays present additional tasks.  Apparently I sacrificed my running.  That’s okay.  No upcoming races to condition for, and friends and family in Texas will be disappointed if I don’t show up with my traditional paunch.  To wit, I’ve been eating more Christmas cookies than Santa this week.  Nothing goes better with coffee than Danish butter cookies – except maybe Gadget Girl’s coffee cake but that’s hard to say since she only talks about it.  I’ve yet to have any.

colder boulder 4With Fridays off this month though, I was able to get in a nice run today.  I returned to Heil Valley Ranch – the southern trail head near the Greenbriar restaurant – to run the Wapiti Trail.  I didn’t get out to the trail head until noonish.  Hearing the news of the Sandy Hook shooting sort of slowed me down for the day.  I spent the morning watching CNBC as I finished up the Christmas cards.

I wasn’t surprised to discover no snow or ice on the trail.  I’d be fine either way but what I really appreciated was that there was absolutely zero wind.  I wore a light fleece shell over two t-shirts and found myself quickly rolling up the sleeves.  And shortly after I began to carry my fleece cap in my hand. I brought gloves but left them in the car.  With the temperature around 50° or so, this was ideal running weather.  Almost unbelievable to have a day at this time of year with zero wind.

I probably ran close to ten miles – at least eight.  I didn’t time it but the Wapiti Trail adds up to five miles up and down, plus I ran the Turkey Trail Loop and a mile on Picture Rock.  Funny thing about not running for seven days.  My body began to hurt after a few days off.  My knees and especially my feet and ankles were just as weak and sore from not running as from running.  Some sort of reverse growing pain process kicks in after a few days. As my muscle tension relaxed, my ankles became as weak as when I increase my distance.  I have to be very deliberate when I get out of bed and hold the hand rail as I descend the stairs in the morning.  There’s a bit of pain associated with this but mostly just weakness.  Stability comes after a few steps.  It’s an interesting thought that it can hurt as much to fall out of shape as to gain the initial conditioning.  Bodies in motion want to stay in motion.  I ran slow to recognize my legs lost some stamina, but my breathing was fine.  You can’t lose a year’s worth of aerobic capacity in one lax week.

colder boulder 2Fairly relaxing day overall.  I didn’t have any stressful work issues arise over email so it really was a vacation day.  Fantastic run really but this school shooting has me at a loss for words right now.  We have a Christmas party to go to later tonight.  Hoping that’s a pick-me-up.  I don’t normally use this blog as a soapbox but will go on record to share my belief in the need for gun control.  I’m not a gun owner but respect the rights of sportsmen and believe we need to support the U.S. Constitution.  But be pragmatic.  Guns don’t kill people but they are for killing.  Semi-automatic weapons aid killing to an unacceptable degree in a society of 300 million citizens.  I support gun control.

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Final Prep for Imogene Pass

02 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Johnny Martinez, Ponderosa Loop, Round Rock, Wapiti Trail, White Rock Marathon, Wild Turkey Trail

I posted this pic to facebook after digging it out of my basement Saturday.  I like the symmetry it represents to my running story.  I consider the Dallas White Rock Marathon to be one of my most brutal running experiences of all time.  But not the one in this picture.  I’m 18 here running with Johnny – a good friend from high school and college.  However, this is my second marathon.  I ran my first marathon two years prior at 16, although it was the same fall weather event in Dallas.  It’s the first marathon that I ran with my buddy Mike where I hit “the wall” at 18 miles and died.  I’m not sure what seemingly sentient being looking like me crossed the finish line at 26.2 miles, as I said – I was already dead.  So it wasn’t me.

Being dead, I recall thinking at the time how unlikely it would be for me to ever enjoy running future marathons.  Yet somehow, two years later, I found myself running the same Dallas White Rock Marathon during my first semester at college.  I suspect natural endorphins must somehow repress previous painful runs.  This second run around the White Rock Lake in Dallas wasn’t painful at all.  Granted, I started off with a belly-full of beer from the previous night, but this was a pleasant run.  While beer is hardly on par with recombinant EPO, I appreciate the bravery it provides at the starting line to a 26 mile run.  Also, I’d gained some nutritional knowledge on how to avoid the wall by maintaining a strong glycemic index.  Basically, consume glucose throughout the event – for me any event over an hour or over a 10K.  It’s also wise to eat a healthy portion of fruits and vegetables (low in their GI value) throughout the week leading up to the marathon.  And beer is good anytime.

These two marathons mirror my IPR experience.  Thirty years would expire between my second marathon and the 17 mile IPR without running anything nearly as challenging in between.  I’m running two IPRs separate by two years just as I did with the Dallas White Rock.  And the first IPR goes down in my record book as one of the most challenging runs of all time – just like my first experience in hitting the wall.  I suppose if I continue running events at this pace, the symmetry will soon be lost, but I like thinking about it after finding this picture.

The Labor Day 3-day weekend is a nice way to prep myself for Imogene Pass.  I assumed over a month ago I could not only get in shape for Imogene Pass, but for two marathons that follow closely on its heels.  Past experience tells me that if I am in shape for Imogene Pass, then I’ll most certainly be in shape to run any relatively flat marathon at 5ooo feet.  But one massive run at a time.  Next weekend is the Imogene Pass Run and I need to work some hills into my routine.

I’ve been running regular 8 milers on the LoBo Trail, convenient out my front door but pretty flat.  Combined with situps I feel pretty good about my progress.  And I’ve been fortunate enough to squeeze in some steep climbs at altitude the last 2 weekends.  This weekend I finally tried out the south end trail head of the Heil Valley Ranch.  I’ve always run the Picture Rock Trail after learning of it two years ago from my buddy Dave.  I credit its 5 to 5.5 mile climb with conditioning me for my first IPR in 2010, but I wish it wasn’t quite so rocky.  My wishing days are over.

The Wapiti Trail is located near the Greenbriar Inn off Left Hand Canyon.  It’s a bit shorter drive from my house too – only 13 miles.  The trail head itself is super nice with picnic tables, grills and ample parking.  It’s funny that the intersection of Hwy 36 and Left Hand Canyon is always packed with cars every weekend from the masses of bikers who like to climb the road to either Ward or Jamestown.  But this short drive to the trail head – I think it’s on Geer Canyon Road – is only partially paved leaving over a half mile of gravel.  Otherwise I would expect bikers to park here.  Surprises me also that the Greenbriar doesn’t cater to bikers with a lunch on Saturdays.

Wapiti Trail begins with a quarter mile of unpaved road and rises for 2.5 miles before joining the Ponderosa Loop.  It’s less rocky than Picture Rock Trail with some really nice dirt segments.  Like Picture Rock, it’s not overly steep, but it hits the top of the hill in half the distance.  And it’s much more shaded in the trees.  The top of the hill actually offers two loops, Ponderosa and Wild Turkey.  I have seen wild turkey up here by the way.  The two loops lie side-by-side, sharing a mile long trail between them.  Ponderosa is the western loop, to the left, and Wild Turkey is to the right on the east side of the hill.  Because Wapiti joins Pondersoa Trail, you have to run to the right for a quarter mile, maybe less, to pick up the Wild Turkey Trail.  Wild Turkey also intersects with Picture Rock after about a mile.

I ran figure eights out of both loops Saturday and Sunday.  I plan to do the same tomorrow but if my legs don’t recover well enough it will be simple to shorten the run by only including a single loop.  The section in the middle is a bit rocky and the west flank of Ponderosa is even more rocky – similar to a creek bed.  But Wild Turkey has some awesome sections of dirt that are ideal for cruising.  These loops offer some slopes but nothing too steep to slow you down.  Ponderosa is 2.6 miles and Wild Turkey 2.9, so combined with the 2.5 mile length of Wapiti I got in 10.5 miles by running the figure eight.  I wanted some longer runs to prep for Imogene Pass but I’ll take the 2.5 mile climb and trail experience over distance.  And 31.5 miles in three days isn’t too shabby.

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