Mt. Sanitas - 3:00 P.M.
70s, clear, dry
mind/body - This gombu is kickin my ASS!
easy effort
I keep thinking tomorrow is the day when I break through but late last night I spiked a fever and thought it was the violent end to this nasty bug... Nope. The good thing about the run today is that I didn't die and made it to the top of Sanitas in 20 minutes but I need a nap right now. It's always worked in the past to run out colds but this one is stubborn. And maybe I'm stubborn too and should take some time off. Well tomorrow I fully intend to get worked over by Josh and Nick on a 20 mile run. Hope you guys know CPR... or better yet just bring the pain pills
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
9 myles - 1.04:02
Lone Tree+ loop - 3:00 P.M.
60s, dry, clear
mind/body - miserable
easy effort
Despite the sickness and lethargy I got out today again. I didn't die, I wanted to, but made it through trying very hard not to breath deep. The runs the last two days have been pure misery, eerily reminiscent of the final myles of most of my races. So I'll chalk these two runs up as mental training and remind myself late in races that it could be worse...
Onto Zane Grey! Paul told me last week that times at Miwok are very similar to ZG. I did a little checking and sure enough for a lot of runners it turns out to be within 10 minutes. Having said that, I guess I'll blindly shoot for 8.50 at ZG. Could be a stretch but it's a goal nonetheless. So if this rule of thumb holds true then I'll beat AJayDub by 25 minutes...
60s, dry, clear
mind/body - miserable
easy effort
Despite the sickness and lethargy I got out today again. I didn't die, I wanted to, but made it through trying very hard not to breath deep. The runs the last two days have been pure misery, eerily reminiscent of the final myles of most of my races. So I'll chalk these two runs up as mental training and remind myself late in races that it could be worse...
Onto Zane Grey! Paul told me last week that times at Miwok are very similar to ZG. I did a little checking and sure enough for a lot of runners it turns out to be within 10 minutes. Having said that, I guess I'll blindly shoot for 8.50 at ZG. Could be a stretch but it's a goal nonetheless. So if this rule of thumb holds true then I'll beat AJayDub by 25 minutes...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
8 myles - 1.20
Treadmill - noon
snow/slush outside, 40s
mind/body - deathly ill
easy effort
Mamacita! That hurt. Every year a cold takes me down for a couple days so I guess this was my "one time". Fever, cough, congestion, and no energy for the last 3 days. I've taken the last two days off in hopes of getting out today... no gumption whatsoever. So I guess to the TM and see how far I could go... started dying after 4 myles, rallied to finish with 7% grade at 6MPH. Didn't wanna hurt the lungs but I certainly wanted to get some elevation. About 2500ft for the entire workout, most of which was done at 6%. Now I know what a day in the life of Browneye feels like running....
snow/slush outside, 40s
mind/body - deathly ill
easy effort
Mamacita! That hurt. Every year a cold takes me down for a couple days so I guess this was my "one time". Fever, cough, congestion, and no energy for the last 3 days. I've taken the last two days off in hopes of getting out today... no gumption whatsoever. So I guess to the TM and see how far I could go... started dying after 4 myles, rallied to finish with 7% grade at 6MPH. Didn't wanna hurt the lungs but I certainly wanted to get some elevation. About 2500ft for the entire workout, most of which was done at 6%. Now I know what a day in the life of Browneye feels like running....
Saturday, April 3, 2010
~20 myles - 3.20
Manitou Springs - 7:00 A.M.
30s, windy, clear
mind/body - good
easy effort
Met up with the CRUD guys this morning at Memorial Park. Of course Browneye didn't show up - he had some 2 mile race he was doing... I know we were out there for 3 hours and 20 minutes but I'm only guesstimating on the distance (10min/mile). Rick and Harsha added on another 5 somewhere along the way. They took me on trails that intertwine all through the hills surrounding Manitou; I remember Intemann, Section 16, High drive, and that's about it. Good catching up with the guys. Good luck to Andy Henshaw as he heads to AR 50 next weekend. He's gonna turns some heads with his sub 6 performance. And good luck to you too Browneye at Boston - break a leg and go under 3 already!
30s, windy, clear
mind/body - good
easy effort
Met up with the CRUD guys this morning at Memorial Park. Of course Browneye didn't show up - he had some 2 mile race he was doing... I know we were out there for 3 hours and 20 minutes but I'm only guesstimating on the distance (10min/mile). Rick and Harsha added on another 5 somewhere along the way. They took me on trails that intertwine all through the hills surrounding Manitou; I remember Intemann, Section 16, High drive, and that's about it. Good catching up with the guys. Good luck to Andy Henshaw as he heads to AR 50 next weekend. He's gonna turns some heads with his sub 6 performance. And good luck to you too Browneye at Boston - break a leg and go under 3 already!
Friday, April 2, 2010
9.25 myles - 1.05:49
HR urban trails
40s, windy, some mud
mind/body - good
easy effort
Nice easy pace today - 7:06 avg. I integrated some hills and really pushed up the them but cruised everywhere else. I had thought about doing hill repeats but for the sake of a 'recovery' week, I didn't wanna get too crazy. Tomorrow I'll go down to the CRUD run and get about 20 myles to end week with 55.
Today on the run I reflected back on my 7 years of ultra running. I remember my first race back in June 2004 at the Squaw Peak 50. I had just moved to Colorado from Utah so it was good to get back home. I knew of Karl Meltzer and naively thought his times were soft. When I started that race I expected to win and by mile 26 I was in 4th place and (at least) an hour behind Karl. By the 50K mark the wheels were starting to fall off and I was crying for my mommy. I ended up in 14th place with a time of 9.28 and had never been in so much pain. Rude awakening. Fast forward to last year at Squaw Peak where I actually did win with a time of 8.05. So what changed for me over the years? Let me just say, it's been a long learning curve.
Nutrition and hydration was the first change. Early on I waited too long to take in calories and water and by the time I decided to start my body was shut down and revolving everything. Dizzy spells, slurred speech, inability to hear, nausea, vomiting, you name it and I've been there. I thought I could show up to a race and take that gel every hour and down a bottle of water every hour. It didn't occur to me that I should test these things out in training - duh! At any rate about 3 years ago I was ready to hang em up but just before I did I committed to try this stuff in training on the long runs. That's about the time EFS liquid shot came onto the market. And to be quite honest that was the start of the difference. One 400 calorie flask every two hours was the ticket, downing it with water and electrolytes. The sad truth is that I have a college degree in nutrition and knew exactly what I needed to do all along but just didn't do it until 3 years ago.
The second change I made was hiring a coach. I was getting better at the weekly mileage and long runs but I wanted to know if I should be doing more. I hired Paul Dewitt who gave me a weekly schedule that I could do at my convenience. This is not a shameless plug for Paul either, I paid him just like any other athlete. Why it worked so well with Paul is that I knew he was more about quality and not quantity. I was getting older and I didn't think I could constantly hit those 100 mile weeks. I knew what Paul was gonna throw at me every week; 2 speed workouts and two back to back long runs, one slow and one fast/easy day, hard day. The difference for me is that Paul could almost feel what I needed and gave me just enough to put me at that red line. Call it intuition but it's certainly a sign of a good coach. I not only wanted to hit every workout but I wanted to impress.
So all of a sudden in the last two years, after figuring out nutrition/hydration, then getting a coach for structure I start to hit the times I've always known I was capable of. Now my mentality has changed from just placing in the top 10 to winning these races.
So here's the thing for all you runners who are new to ultra running; you can be fitter than fit and have the mentality to win a race, but if you don't have the right nutrition and hydration plan all that training doesn't account for everything it can. I suffered for 4 years with suboptimal performances, learn from my mistakes and put it all together now.
And last, this is in no way saying I'm now the most talented runner to toe the line, because I'm not. I'm just saying that the times I'm posting now is what I've expected of myself all along. Now I just gotta figure out that hundred mile thingy... oh and staying the course -that's important!
40s, windy, some mud
mind/body - good
easy effort
Nice easy pace today - 7:06 avg. I integrated some hills and really pushed up the them but cruised everywhere else. I had thought about doing hill repeats but for the sake of a 'recovery' week, I didn't wanna get too crazy. Tomorrow I'll go down to the CRUD run and get about 20 myles to end week with 55.
Today on the run I reflected back on my 7 years of ultra running. I remember my first race back in June 2004 at the Squaw Peak 50. I had just moved to Colorado from Utah so it was good to get back home. I knew of Karl Meltzer and naively thought his times were soft. When I started that race I expected to win and by mile 26 I was in 4th place and (at least) an hour behind Karl. By the 50K mark the wheels were starting to fall off and I was crying for my mommy. I ended up in 14th place with a time of 9.28 and had never been in so much pain. Rude awakening. Fast forward to last year at Squaw Peak where I actually did win with a time of 8.05. So what changed for me over the years? Let me just say, it's been a long learning curve.
Nutrition and hydration was the first change. Early on I waited too long to take in calories and water and by the time I decided to start my body was shut down and revolving everything. Dizzy spells, slurred speech, inability to hear, nausea, vomiting, you name it and I've been there. I thought I could show up to a race and take that gel every hour and down a bottle of water every hour. It didn't occur to me that I should test these things out in training - duh! At any rate about 3 years ago I was ready to hang em up but just before I did I committed to try this stuff in training on the long runs. That's about the time EFS liquid shot came onto the market. And to be quite honest that was the start of the difference. One 400 calorie flask every two hours was the ticket, downing it with water and electrolytes. The sad truth is that I have a college degree in nutrition and knew exactly what I needed to do all along but just didn't do it until 3 years ago.
The second change I made was hiring a coach. I was getting better at the weekly mileage and long runs but I wanted to know if I should be doing more. I hired Paul Dewitt who gave me a weekly schedule that I could do at my convenience. This is not a shameless plug for Paul either, I paid him just like any other athlete. Why it worked so well with Paul is that I knew he was more about quality and not quantity. I was getting older and I didn't think I could constantly hit those 100 mile weeks. I knew what Paul was gonna throw at me every week; 2 speed workouts and two back to back long runs, one slow and one fast/easy day, hard day. The difference for me is that Paul could almost feel what I needed and gave me just enough to put me at that red line. Call it intuition but it's certainly a sign of a good coach. I not only wanted to hit every workout but I wanted to impress.
So all of a sudden in the last two years, after figuring out nutrition/hydration, then getting a coach for structure I start to hit the times I've always known I was capable of. Now my mentality has changed from just placing in the top 10 to winning these races.
So here's the thing for all you runners who are new to ultra running; you can be fitter than fit and have the mentality to win a race, but if you don't have the right nutrition and hydration plan all that training doesn't account for everything it can. I suffered for 4 years with suboptimal performances, learn from my mistakes and put it all together now.
And last, this is in no way saying I'm now the most talented runner to toe the line, because I'm not. I'm just saying that the times I'm posting now is what I've expected of myself all along. Now I just gotta figure out that hundred mile thingy... oh and staying the course -that's important!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
10 myles - 1.08:36
Lone Tree + loop - 11:00 A.M.
40s, cloudy, blustery
mind/body - seemingly good
easy effort
In between the masses of conference calls (when I say "masses" I'm talking 5 calls in on day!?!), I decided to exercise the legs and lungs since I was exercising the mouth and brain... I thought conference calls were a time to catch up on everything else in the office?? Man I got roped into some deep conversation today!
At any rate, the run was spectacular! Avg. of 6:52 on some trails and hills. The body feels very good and the legs, in particular, seemed to have a little snap back today. I've been overly obsessed with looking at any and all information related to Zane Grey. The course map seems to be gaining a lot of my attention, hmmm....
And for the record, I'm going to be attempting my first FKT on Mt. Sanitas sometime early May. I'm gonna do 12 hours of Sanitas and see if I can eclipse the current record of 16 laps in 11.56:22 held by Peter Bakwin.
40s, cloudy, blustery
mind/body - seemingly good
easy effort
In between the masses of conference calls (when I say "masses" I'm talking 5 calls in on day!?!), I decided to exercise the legs and lungs since I was exercising the mouth and brain... I thought conference calls were a time to catch up on everything else in the office?? Man I got roped into some deep conversation today!
At any rate, the run was spectacular! Avg. of 6:52 on some trails and hills. The body feels very good and the legs, in particular, seemed to have a little snap back today. I've been overly obsessed with looking at any and all information related to Zane Grey. The course map seems to be gaining a lot of my attention, hmmm....
And for the record, I'm going to be attempting my first FKT on Mt. Sanitas sometime early May. I'm gonna do 12 hours of Sanitas and see if I can eclipse the current record of 16 laps in 11.56:22 held by Peter Bakwin.
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