Fortnight Ending June 30

Week Ending June 23

Mon - 7.5 miles (2,200') easy. Horsetooth north summit.

Tues - 6 miles track. The workout for this week, quite comically, was 3k open, then 8x300; the comedy of course being that the last 300 meters of the Western States course are famously on the Placer High track. My last track workout of the training block would be 8x300. Would it come down to a sprint finish 11 days later? Nah. Didn't wear a watch for this workout to avoid the temptation of running too hard. Ran the 3k at about marathon pace, then did just enough over the 300s to open the stride.

Weds - Off. Travel day to Toronto for work.

Thurs - 4 miles. Ran somewhere close to Cabbage Town in Toronto. Found a hill and labored up it, then returned to the hotel.

Fri - 4 miles. Found 40 minutes before my flight home to run a few urban miles.

Sat - 11 miles (800') easy. From the Turquoise Lake dam in Leadville, ran out to the asphalt on the other end of the Turquoise Lake trail and back on the Pb100 course.

Sun - 10 miles (3,000') easy. Joined the Leadville Training Camp group for a nice easy jaunt over Hope Pass to Winfield, then got a ride back. Checked out the new cut to Winfield off the contour trail. Much improved over last year's mileage adding nightmare. Felt largely terrible during this run.

Total 42.5 miles (6,000')

Week Ending June 30 

Mon - 4 miles easy. Bluesky trail midday in heat gear. Sore quads from Hope, somewhat inexplicably.

Tues - 4 miles easy. As Monday. Quads still sore.

Weds - 4 miles (500') easy. Jogged up to Alpine from our rental house in Squaw after the long road trip with Brian. Felt kinda blah.

Thurs - 5 miles (1,200') easy. Jogged up the Five Lakes Trail with Brian and took a dip at the top. Awesome floaty run, which finally gave me a bit of confidence after a largely lackluster taper.

Fri - 20 mins jogging with the PI crew in and around Alpine.

Sat - 100 miles (17,000') race. Western States 100.

Sun - Off. Ultradrive home.

Total: 120 (18,700')

This wasn't the best taper for me. I felt off for much of it, and the key second week was a mess of travel and not enough vertical. I paid the price with sore quads after a very casual crossing of Hope Pass the weekend prior to the race, and then stressed about that and its implications for Western States for three or four days after. I did feel, however, like I was pretty well rested and ready to go for the race, but there was still something missing. File that one away and rethink for next year.

It will be tough to leave the race behind, as I'd hoped to do this year, after such a lackluster performance. Next year I turn 40. Mike Morton's new master's record holds some appeal, and I know I'm capable of running under 15:40, even if the dream of a Cougar might be slipping from the realms of reality. It's a long time until WS2014, so we'll see.

Writing this on the Friday after Western States and having just returned from a fun overnight backpacking trip involving 13 miles of hiking and a good bit of vertical gain at high altitude, I can honestly say that recovery from this one is the quickest of any. Feeling good about Vermont already.

Yeah, I dunno, maybe next year. Photo: Brad and Lori Clayton 

Photo: Maxim Kazitov