Thursday, April 30, 2009

Weekend Races

Some big races this weekend, and a not-so-big 50 miler in Buena Vista.

Good luck to Scott Jaime and Phil Kochik representing CO out in California at the Miwok 100k, a.k.a last chance to qualify for Western States. The field at Miwok is loaded and looks like it will be quite the footrace. My pick in the men's race is Geoff Roes, who seems to have the right combination of speed, patience and endurance for the distance. From his blog, it sounds like he's in great shape too.

Also good luck to Ryan Burch at the Fort Collins Marathon. He's targeting a 2:45, and I'm pretty sure he's good for it.

I've been back and forth on whether to run Collegiate Peaks this weekend, after doing something to my calf last Thursday and further aggravating it by racing a 5k on Saturday. Took Sunday and Monday off, hobbling around and generally thinking it would be stupid to race. However, got out for a 4-mile tester Tuesday where I was able to run, despite hurting on the uphills. Got out again yesterday and felt considerably better. The pain was still there, but was just that, pain. Doesn't feel like a tendon or anything that could go pop! if I push it, so I'm assuming it's a minor muscular issue. The pain is more dull than throbbing now, so I'm hopeful it won't be an issue by Saturday.

I don't recognize too many names on the start list, but I am looking forward to racing Tim Long. From previous results, it looks like we should be pretty closely matched. The women's field looks like it will be dominated by Helen Cospolich, last year's Leadville 100 winner (and winner at Fruita the other weekend).

Dana and Alistair are making the trip to Buena Vista with me. We've got a little cabin booked, so it should be a fun getaway. They've got plans for the hot springs while I slog it out on Saturday. The course looks to be reasonably fast - mainly forest roads from what I can make out, with somewhere close to 5,000 feet of climbing - so I hope to keep my streak of PRing at 50s alive. Anything under my time from Fruita (7:44) would be a result then, I guess.

The course is two of these

5 comments:

  1. Good luck with your injury. I'm limping around again. Go figure - 50 miles in rugged terrain and a quad-busting recreational climb the next day, with no issues. But 5.2 miles around Wash Park leaves me lame. I hope you fare better. You're too strong this season to lose ground.

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  2. Hey Nick,
    "Based on previous results" you mean like DNF? I'm seriously hoping just to finish to build a modicum of confidence for Big Horn. If I start the second lap, I'll finish, albeit slowly.

    Watch Garett Graubins. He's always strong and consistent. Also, Bobby Biles from NM. That boy can move.

    Looking forward to meeting you.

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  3. Also, I'm not sure how fast this course is. Anton holds the course record which is only 20 mins faster than he ran the Grand Canyon (which wasn't a race) and an 1:10 slower than his American River 50 miler. Food for thought.

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  4. Hey Tim - I was thinking more of your Ghost Town win than your more recent DNF.

    Agreed on Big Horn - still seems insurmountable, especially when I finish these 50-mile races run ragged with absolutely no concept of how one could continue on for another 50 miles. Obviously people do it, but still.

    The few people that I've talked to who have done CP50 seem to be of the opinion that it is one of the easier 50 milers in CO, but again, it's still 50 miles. As to Anton's time, I can't imagine he was pushed too hard at CP, and the R2R2R is 7 or 8 miles short of 50 miles, no?

    Jeff - hope you're still planning on being in BV this weekend. Regarding injuries, same thing happened to me last week: 50 miles at Fruita, followed by three mountain runs, then it was an easy 8-mile flat run that triggered the "injury".

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  5. Good, I could use an easy 50 miler... ;-)

    Yeah, that ghost town run is WAY in the past. I'm rarely, if ever, geared up and focused to race like that. I was excited to race Andy, so that's where the effort came from.

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