G & T 37, A Super Long Run, Flagstaff Bouldering, And Huang Jin Gui

G & T 37, A Super Long Run, Flagstaff Bouldering, and Huang Jin Gui


Yesterday was my 37th running of G & T. Last week was great, with spring like conditions and a slightly faster time then during winter. Yesterday was back to winter, at least in terms of the trail and snow. Loveland had reported getting 2' of snow over the past three days, so I knew that it would be a bit of a bear. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find the first 2+ miles of road packed with several sections of dirt. Things are starting to melt out fast. However, up high, after the turnoff for the Kelso Mountain East Ridge, the trail became powdery and then by the summer trailhead it was untracked and back to winter conditions. I had run up the road with my running snowshoes in my hands like last week, but this time needed to put them on to make it through the willows without too many issues. Still, the day warmed up and it was a spectacular day to be up above 14,000'. Only 15 more times to pull off a full year.

 Looking south over South Park to the Sangres and Sawatch

Citadel Peak and the Never Summers in the distance

A nice story on an incredible Gwich'in runner up in Canada who has run 1,200km over the past month plus in an effort to raise awareness about the Peel Watershed. He basically ran 40k per day for 30 days! Some serious endurance running - and through incredibly difficult conditions.

A little write-up on Paige Siemers - a friend and super humble athlete. She qualified for the Olympic Trials again this winter.

Flagstaff, Arizona is quickly turning into a running mecca (again?), and it is also a hotbed of sick bouldering and climbing. ClimbingNarc posted a new video on a long cave problem that will hopefully bring some of the strong kids down to check the area out. I haven't been down there to climb in about 10 years, but perhaps next winter...

Acheron SDS - Second Ascent from Blake McCord on Vimeo.

Yesterday, May 2 was the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Shishapangma (26,289 ft), the last of the 8,000m peaks to be climbed. Since it is located in China-controlled Tibet, it was a Chinese team that got the first ascent. Annupurna I was the first to be climbed in 1950, so all 14 8,000m peaks were climbed within 14 years, which is really fast if one thinks about it. Only 26 people have climbed all 14 - an amazing feat!

The other day I enjoyed a wonderful pot of Huang Jin Gui, also known as Yellow Gold. This is a high grade oolong tea from Anxi County in Fujian Province, China. I was drinking the 2013 spring harvest. With thinner and smaller leaves then some of the Tieguanyin's from the same area, the tea is lightly processed and is a step between a "green" oolong and the more traditional "darker" oolongs. A really nice tea all in all.

Local Mountain Loop, One World Running, And Emerald Needles Tea

Local Mountain Loop, One World Running, and Emerald Needles Tea


Been really digging my local mountain loop - up Apex, over to Lookout and around, then down Chimney Gulch and back. 13 miles and 3,000' of gain. With some good trail sections, some road sections to work on turnover and tempo, and some solid downhill singletrack sections, this loop has it all. Seems pretty quite in the mornings as well, except for the elk which I run into regularly.

I've been helping out Sandrock and One World Running for a number of years now - helping with international customs, fundraisers, collecting shoes, etc. It's really an amazing organization, run all by volunteers, no staff, on a shoestring budget. They personally hand wash every pair of shoes donated, match them up, then ship them to different countries, and hand deliver the shoes to kids in need. They also put on fun races in Cameroon, Belize, Honduras, Cuba, and other places to get the local community involved in running and exercise. Here is a poster for one of their upcoming trips to Honduras is anyone wants to go. If you run, you can donate your shoes by dropping them off at Runner's High in Golden, Boulder Running Company in Boulder or Cherry Creek, Fleet Feet stores, and Runner's Roost stores, as well as a bunch of other locations.

Yesterday's tea was a wonderful large-leaf green tea from the Hengduan Mountains (Simao district, Yunnan province) of China. Picked about 5 weeks ago, this early spring harvest tea (Emerald Needles) was only lightly roasted and minimally processed to preserve it's green, vegetal flavors. During my hectic day yesterday, it was my only moment of peace.

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.