Spring - Training Starts

Spring - Training Starts


Today is the first day of spring, and that means training needs to get serious for any summer projects or goals to be completed. Last year I was already well into my G & T Challenge, which consumed one of my two free days every week, preventing me from focusing 100% on any other goals. This year my two main goals, as stated before, are to do Nolan's and to race in the US Skyrunning Ultra series. The two goals do not go hand in hand, as Nolan's is a long walk in the mountains, while the US Skyrunning races are fast 50Ks (Tushar is 50 miles) on fairly runnable courses. As such, I need to build massive endurance and vertical stamina, while also somehow maintaining any leg speed and tempo endurance I have gained over the winter. Not an easy task, and one that I continue to struggle with in my mind. My work and volunteer schedule keeps my life pretty tight, but my plans right now are to focus on recovery, tempo, and fast speed work during the week when I have only about 1 hour each day before catching the bus to work. On my two free days, I am hoping to spend them slogging up and down mountains to get in the massive vertical training necessary for Nolans. How these two opposing training plans mesh is up in the air, but that is the idea going in from here on out. I will also be taking a random day off when I can to try and get one more long, vertical oriented day starting in April. Not sure how it will all work out, but that is the "plan".

So, to start it off, I did the M5 challenge today. I've done this before, and it is always a killer. Run (hike) up and down Mt. Morrison's southeast ridge 5 times for a total of around 10,000' and 20 miles. It went well, but I could certainly tell that I didn't have my climbing legs as I have done more road stuff over the winter.

 Long's Peak from the summit of Mt. Morrison.

Pike's Peak from the summit. So crystal clear this morning, you could see forever...

Speaking of which, last Saturday I ran the Erin Go Braugh 7.77K race in Westminster. This was the shortest race I have ever run, and I had little idea what I was getting into. Most of the winter has been spent building a solid base, with some surge runs thrown in here and there, and an occasional tempo run as well, along with vertical slogs. I figured I would just go as fast as possible from the gun and see if I could not hold on. After a mellow warm-up, I lined up and took off with the lead pack. I instantly hit a wall but kept pushing and trying to keep pace. The pack thinned out and I soon found myself running alone. Umm, I thought that only happened in ultras, not fast road races? At the turn around, I noticed that I was not alone, and the entire 400+ field was right behind me. I kept pushing, chanting positive mantras over and over in my head and just praying that I could hold on. I could feel a good burn in the legs, and my stomach started to get acidic, but I just steeled my eyes on the finish and kept pushing. I crossed the finish line and instantly threw up, right there off to the side. Nothing bad, mostly just a tad bit of water/stomach acid. This is the first (and only) time I've every tossed my stomach after only running for 4.8 miles! I guess I was pretty much at my limit. At the results, I found out I was 8th overall, and 2nd in my age group, which was a shocker. Pretty good for a MUT oriented runner I think. I might have to see if I can't loose my breakfast in an even shorter race!

Notice my hat above, pretty cool. Here is a better shot.

I got it from the magazine Like the Wind, out of the UK. I also wrote a piece for them, which finally showed up in their latest issue. Pretty psyched to have my name in print alongside Bill Rodgers (yes, him), Dakota Jones, Guy Oliver, and a slew of other running writers.

I had a good friend make me some custom snow tools for this coming season. Made by Paul Sibley, one of the original climbers of the area from back in the '60s and '70s, he did a great job. They are made of aluminum and titanium and are perfect for moving fast over snowfields on the local mountains. I got a set of two, one for each hand.

Ran up Grays and Torreys a week or so again, testing snowshoes once more. Not much snow compared to last year, but I still really enjoy the mountain and area. Soon the better lines will open up and some serious adventures can be had.

The Apex trails are running so nice right now...

Got a first-hand look at the Rowdy Mermaid kombucha brewery yesterday. Jamba is turning out some incredible flavors and brews. If I could, I'd drink a bottle a day simply for the health reasons.

Finally, I picked up about 200 pairs of old, used running shoes from BRC Littleton. I was thinking, most people are excited about spring because of the flowers, longer days, warm weather, etc. I picked up these shoes, filling my little VW Rabbit to the max, and was thankful that it was warm enough to keep the windows down. Nothing like a car full of used running shoes with the windows up and the heat on...

Old School Classics, Slabby FAs, Spring Trails

Old School Classics, Slabby FAs, Spring Trails


Did a bit of house cleaning the other day and pulled out these old school classics. From an article by Arthur Lydiard from 1971 in "New Views of Speed Training":

"There are very many athletes in the US who train like hell. And when the season starts, they continue to train very hard. I used to train my athletes so they could race. We didn't train to train. When we started to race, we trained very lightly. The two key words are fresh and sharp. You have to be fresh and you have to be sharp is you want to race well."

I see Lydiard's words of advice here just as pertinent then as now. There are plenty of ultra and other runners out there who seem to train way too much, and come into races flat. I know I've been victim of this myself, and with the option to race all year, it is hard to distinguish between training and racing. It also depends on your goals - I know I have several for this summer, some of which can be viewed as "training" runs despite their length and difficulty. Still, the idea of incorporating some form of periodization into your training seems to be the smart way to go - if you don't, you will likely get injured, burnt out, or hit a plateau.

I've been doing track sessions now for 5 weeks, once a week. I do 4x400s and 4x800s with 400 jogs inbetween, as well as some warmups and cool downs. My time for the 400s has improved by 4 seconds and my time for the 800s has improved by 9 seconds. Small, but important gains. I don't have a running background, so I don't have any highschool or college numbers to compare my times to. I'll keep at it as much as I can over the summer and see what happens, but after 3 more sessions I'll switch up the distances to 600s and 1200s to change up the stimulus. Then, after 8 sessions I'll drop back down to the 400s and 800s and hopefully see a good improvement.

The only problem with my little speed work is that I've ramped up the vertical now that summer is approaching for my summer objectives. I've averaged 54,000' of vert per month since November, but am on track this month to hit 75,000' or so. My legs and lungs may be getting stronger, but they are also getting slower, thus the speed work once a week, plus some faster home runs. Some photos from my recent outings.

 Shots from the trails out of Pine, Colorado - miles and miles of flowy singletrack.

 Shot of the Continental Divide from a double Lookout Mountain morning.

 The "Wall" in Deer Creek - I love running the outer perimeter of this park.

The view from the top of Golden Eagle Peak, aka Bill Couch Mountain.

During my recent run out on some trails in Pine, I also had fun climbing up some slabs off in the woods. Adding slabs or some other scrambling to the run spices things up a bit and is a fun way to change up the rhythm. There are a lot of FAs waiting to be had and plenty of places to explore. I usually climb in this area in the fall when it is not so hot and the ticks are not out, but I had to get some photos for a book I'm working on. 

 This was a fun slab FA climb, following the crack/seam system - about 120' and class 4/5 climbing

I did some small stuff around this feature, but it is about 3 pitches worth of perfect climbing all waiting for some first ascents.

G & T 38, Track, Summer Boulder Problem

G & T 38, Track, Summer Boulder Problem


On Wednesday Kendrick and I got out for a great run up Grays and Torreys. This was my 38th running of the peaks, and perhaps one of the best in terms of weather that I have had since November. We were able to do the entire run without snowshoes - the snow on the road is all packed, and the long section between the summer trailhead and the big sign is consolidated and hard. Above the big sign it is smooth sailing. After a long, stormy, cold and often dark winter, it is so nice to be up high with spring like conditions. On the way down, Kendrick asked me if I was going to continue this challenge after #52. I don't think I could handle another winter - reflecting back it was pretty miserable.

Been getting to the track on Sunday mornings for a session of 400s and 800s. After my first session, my times were really slow. Now, after a couple times I've seen my times drop by about 3-7 seconds for the 400s and about the same for the 800s. From my understanding of how the body responds to stimulus and change, it takes about 4 consistent sessions/workouts before one will really start to see any improvement. The first time your body and muscles are simply dealing with the new stimulus. On the second time, you are still dealing with the new stimulus, but your body at least knows what to expect. By the third time, your muscles have begun to adapt to the new stimulus because it has now started to become part of your routine. The real gains come in workouts 4-8. After 8, you either need to change up the workout or do something else. I'll see this Sunday if my times continue to drop.

I've been looking for a good hard problem that I can work on this summer that is close to home. Most of the climbing that I have not done involves a drive up into the high country, which on work days I can't do. So, the hunt for something local that would be new. I think I found it this past week - Extra Otis V11. I used to climb at Morrison a bunch about 15 years ago when it was more hip, but have not been there since. Now that I live in Golden, however, it is just 5 minutes away and provides a great hard training ground. Extra Otis may not be the most aesthetically pleasing of problems, but it is hard and I haven't done it yet. Time to check it off the list.

Still looking for a race to do this month or in June. I was going to do Sageburner, but can't make it now. There is the Rocky Mountain 50K in Wyoming, but it is mostly on FS roads, which means you need to be fast, and I've been doing more vertical then speed. Anyone know of some local races that might work?

Track, Apex-Lookout-Chimney, Fat Dog, Tie Kuanyin

Track, Apex-Lookout-Chimney, Fat Dog, Tie Kuanyin


I keep going back and forth in my mind about what to share here, how much, and if I should keep it strictly related to running/climbing or should I add other stuff. Still not sure on all of that, but I like to share cool things on FB and Twitter, so we will see.

I'm slow. That is for sure. I really want to do speed work on a regular basis, especially since I enjoy sunrise track sessions. However, after doing G & T every week, some recovery runs, usually a tempo run, and then another vertical run I just don't seem to consistently be able to get speed work in. I'm going to try and change that this spring, as I know I could greatly benefit from some consistent speed work. I'm aiming for Sunday sunrise sessions at the Bell track in Golden (if anyone ever wants to join in). Last Sunday we made it for a great workout, with 4 x 400 and 4 x 800 with 400 recovery jogs between each. My times were pathetic, as I was still tired from G & T and a North Table tempo the days before. 93, 88, 87, 88 for the 400s and 3:31, 3:29, 3:21, 3:25 for the 800s. Obviously not my area of expertise, but I'm hoping to keep at it and reap the benefits.

Old-school gravel track with no lanes or markings. I'm not sure how accurate my 400s and 800s are. I just draw a line and do a full circle, no stagger start so it might be a bit long?

Although I've only been racing for 2 years and done only a few races, there are not too many that really appeal to me. I'm not a good flat runner, so non-mountain courses don't hold a ton of interest unless they have something else going on. Hardrock is of course interesting, but I don't know about it, seems to high profile or something. On the other hand, Fat Dog 120 seems really cool, super hard, and the course goes through some wild country, which would be really cool. Just have to find a means to get there.

Fat Dog 120 from Project Talaria on Vimeo.

What are some other killer races? Devil's Backbone in Montana seems really cool as well. The Kite Lake Triple-Triple sounds awesome (signed up, hoping to get in). What are some others? In Colorado or within driving distance?

Spring is here finally, and it is nice to be able to stretch the legs out on the trails and bomb the downhills to build the quads with no worries about ice. Ran Apex to Lookout to Chimney Gulch and back to my house this morning. 13 miles and 3,000' of gain, with lots of good running sections. I'm going to try and do this a couple more times along with some other stuff in prep for Sageburner 50K in May. Two years ago that was my first race ever (of any distance, any kind), so it will be interesting to see how much I have improved since then. At least I have an idea of what I am doing now!

I really enjoy tea, and where I work I get to taste, order, purchase and be involved with some of the best and most outstanding teas in the world. I'll be posting a bit on the teas I drink for the fun of it. Yesterday I had the honor to drink a Tie kuanyin from the Muzha district in Taiwan. This was the 2013 Winter Distinction Prize winner, and it was a remarkable Oolong. I did five steepings at temps ranging from 160 to 175 using filtered water. The tea had so much complexity, and despite five steepings I was still not able to fully unlock it. This one could use several more as the leaves really didn't start to open until the 3rd steeping. Here is a video from the 2012 competition to give you an idea of the quality of these remarkable teas.

Not the best photo, but simply an amazing tea - gaiwan style.

Working

Working


Early morning on the track. Loving the simplicity and brutality of these...

Running Camp Coming to a Close

Running Camp Coming to a Close

Well, as things wind down and my time on St. Thomas comes to a close, so does my so-called "running camp." Overall, it has been a great disciplined practice that I know I would not have undertaken if I was back in Colorado. Every other day is a speed day down at the "track" on Magen's Bay. In between I run a brutal hill route that involves 2,700' of gain and 9.25 miles. The hills here are steep and short, so there is a lot of up and down, which I am hoping translates well when back in Colorado, where most hills are much longer. The speed sessions revolves around a 3.25 mile warmup before alternating between short and long efforts. The short efforts alternate depending on whether I'm running clockwise or counter clockwise based on where the gates are placed, which I use as my markings. Clockwise my times seem to hoover around .50 seconds, with a PR of .47 seconds. On slow days, it bumps up to .54 seconds on my slowest effort. Counter clockwise the times are 1:30 to 1:34. I've done 13 speed sessions total and although my times have not dropped significantly (but they have come down from my initial times), my ability to do them and the level of pain and suffering involved has diminished. The last speed session was the best, as I came into it rested. For the first time I felt like I could really drive and grip the ground on each step as I pushed. I could feel my entire leg working in a unified manner, which was really cool. This is when I got my .47 second PR.

The between short speed attempts I do a longer speed lap that hoovers right around 2:40-2:32. These longer speed attempts have not seen the drop in time as the shorter ones have. I run them at a fairly good pace - 5K or under pace - but I can't seem to drop the times. I do feel stronger during the attempt, but the time seems to stay the same. I guess it takes longer to develop and bring down this longer speed time than the shorter all out efforts.

Three more speed sessions left before returning home. Can't wait to start incorporating back in longer runs, as that has not really been possible while on island.

Ultrarunners are used to walking/speed hiking during long races. The switch between running again and continuing to hike/walk is always difficult - you want to keep hiking but know that you can run the terrain faster. I've never really thought about the process much before, simply working with my mind to get my legs to start running again. Turns out, according to a new study, that the entire shift from walking to running takes place in one single step! That is good to know mentally - it is only a single step and the transition from speed hiking to running is done.

Some sunset photos from the other night...

Running Camp Begins

Running Camp Begins

Well, I've been on island for a couple days, and am starting to get into a solid new running/training schedule. I've been calling this residential fellowship a "running camp" because I would never do the type of running one does here on the island if I was still in Colorado. Here, the primary focus will be on speed, with hills and endurance thrown in to the mix, whereas if I was still in Colorado I would simply put all of my focus towards the mountains as I usually do. This, I've learned, is great for running peaks, but not the smartest training for racing. So my fellowship, beyond the scientific research I'll be involved in, is to some extent a forced focus on speed. Now, I need to give a disclaimer to that, as I already did one session that involved 1,200 of gain in 8 miles. However, early morning speed work will still be the primary emphasis.

As such, I got up early this morning and went down to Magens Bay to run the "track". This is perhaps one of the most idyllic "tracks" in the world. The loop is a .57 miles around, shaded, and has either paved or grass/sand options. Plus, it is 25 feet from one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean! In the early mornings, this is a big exercise zone for the locals. Along with myself, there was a small yoga class going on, some other kind of workout/gym class, and lots and lots of people walking laps back and forth on Magens. With wild mongooses hunting on the edges, morning doves and other birds singing, and a soft tropical rain coming down, I got to business. Or, business for me, as I attempted my first speed workout ever. After a couple laps to warm up, I did eight laps of tempo down and sprint/fast back. Since the loop is just over 800 meters, I was basically doing 500s or something. After I did a couple more laps to cool down, I then dipped into the ocean and did another 30 minutes of water running, which is really tiring. Plus, I got to see a reef shark! So, around 11 miles for the morning.

I'll have to work on getting my times down and precise, so that I can start to work on slowly taking seconds off, but for a first attempt, I was really pleased. In a week or so I should know my baseline times and what I have to work towards to lower them. It will be really interesting to see how this speed work impacts my times and running once back home in Colorado and at altitude. My baseline training times for a couple of the local runs are:

• Outer Loop of Apex - Car/Apex/Enchanted Forest/Top/Apex/Hardscrabble/Grubstake/Argos/Car - 1:12 (1,900' gain)
• Mt. Falcon - Car/Castle/Turkey/Castle/Meadow/Tower/Meadow/Castle/Turkey/Castle/Car - 1:23 (2,010' gain)
• White Ranch Outer Loop - Car/Belcher/Whippletree/Longhorn/Rawhide/Belcher/Mustang/Belcher/Car - 2:14 (3,424' gain)
• South Boulder-Bear Loop - Car/Shanahan/Mesa/Shadow/South Boulder/Bear/Fern/Shanahan/Car - 1:43 (3,704' gain)

There are others, but these are some of the one's I run regularly and have solid baseline times on. I've gone faster (and slower), but these are my averages for this spring. I'm hoping that the speed work will allow me to lower these times a bit, once I re-acclimate in the fall.

 Looking out at the Peterborg Peninsula - there is a run that gets you 1,200' of gain and 8 miles heading out and back on this

 The Magen's track - perfect running surface with the beach on the left

 This is the other side of the "track" loop

Jump into Magen's for a cool off and some water running