Since spreading the maps on my parents' dining room table, early in our visit, I had wanted to run to Deal from my parents' home in Canterbury via the North Downs Way. My first attempt didn't get out of bed due to jet lag. With a busy holiday schedule, New Year's Day was going to be the last and only chance to get it done.
Much of the North Downs Way has been used for centuries as a pilgrimage route to the shrine of Thomas Beckett at Canterbury Cathedral. It currently covers 153 miles west to east from Farnham, on the Surrey/Hampshire border, to the famed port town of Dover in Kent, via Canterbury. My route would cover 17/18 miles of the trail, with a detour to Deal.
True to form, I managed to lose the trail a couple of times even though I had a very detailed photocopied ordinance survey map of the route with me on the run.
The trail took me through Canterbury, past the Cathedral, to the picturesque village of Patrixbourne by way of a paved bike trail. Once in the village I made a premature left, which resulted in my first wrong turn of the day. After having run on tight country roads from the village for approximately 20 minutes, I was beginning to get that sneaking feeling I was heading in the wrong direction. After consulting the map at an intersection with named roads, I was able to confirm my fears and set about righting them by heading to Gypsy Cottage (a random house named on the map), where I would make a right to reconnect with the trail close to the busy A2 motorway.
Once back on the trail, I realised that I would have to step up the pace if I was going to come anywhere close to making my arranged rendez-vous with my dad, who had kindly agreed to meet me at Deal Pier at noon. Any more wrong turns, I surmised, would ensure a tardy finish to the run.
The trail took me across numerous farmers' fields, most of which made for tough going and heavy mud-laden shoes: not ideal conditions for moving efficiently and quickly. But they offered great views of the Kent countryside, while also offering rolling hills and glimpses of Kentish wildlife. I saw four or five red foxes, in addition to flocks of game birds. I also heard many farmers out hunting and saw evidence in the form of dead rabbits and game feathers. Having just eaten a delicious pheasant meal the night before I was envious of those bagging birds for the dining table.
The trail continued through more picturesque Kentish villages, with names and thatched roofs from an entirely different era: Womenswold , Wollage Village and Sheperdswell to name a few. I also passed Waldershare House, a megalithic stately home which was once apparently the seat of the Earl of Guilford. A quick Google search suggests it has since been cut up into apartments, a three-bedroom version of which is going for 450k (pounds).
A few miles past Waldershare House I reached the small village of Ashley, and after a time-check realised that I was going to have to take roads to Deal or risk being very late for my pick-up. Inexplicably I mistook Ashley for a different village when I consulted my map and headed off in entirely the wrong direction. It wasn't until I reached the A2 a mile or two later that I realised my mistake, which was confirmed when I stopped a lady to ask for directions to Deal. She laughed at me and told me to turn around and go back the way I had come. It was now a certainty that I would not make Deal Pier on time.
By the time I got to East Studdal, running past a pay phone, I made the decision to bag the run and call home to my mom to ask if she could call my dad and ask him to come pick me up. However, nobody was home and I realised that everyone had probably joined my dad in coming to pick me up. By this time it was about 12:20 and I had four and half miles to Deal, according to a road sign in the village. I put my head down and raced the roads on tired legs, finally reaching Deal Pier at 12:50. Thankfully, my cold family, including Dana and Alistair, were there waiting.
A fine start to the New Year. One of my goals for 2009 is to significantly reduce the number of times I get lost on the trail.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Week Ending Jan. 4
Mon - Off.
Tues - 7 miles: 4 university laps easy.
Weds - 10 miles. To Blean Woods, around black trail and home.
Thurs - 23 miles. Canterbury to Deal on the North Downs Way.
Fri - 0 miles. Flying back to Colorado.
Sat - 15 miles. Crosier Mountain Double (4,400 ft of climbing).
Sunday - 1.5 miles. Setting up T&H 4k course.
Total - 56 miles (5,500 ft).
A solid week with a couple of enjoyable long runs.
Tues - 7 miles: 4 university laps easy.
Weds - 10 miles. To Blean Woods, around black trail and home.
Thurs - 23 miles. Canterbury to Deal on the North Downs Way.
Fri - 0 miles. Flying back to Colorado.
Sat - 15 miles. Crosier Mountain Double (4,400 ft of climbing).
Sunday - 1.5 miles. Setting up T&H 4k course.
Total - 56 miles (5,500 ft).
A solid week with a couple of enjoyable long runs.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Crosier Mountain Double
The family was up at 2:15 this morning after having returned from England at 6:30 pm the day before. UK time it was 9:15 am and apparently nobody had informed our son, Alistair, about the time change so we were up and ready to go grocery shopping by 3:00 am. I had arranged to meet Chad for a run at 6:30, so I figured I had plenty of time to pop into town with Alistair to the 24hr King Soopers to give Dana a couple extra hours in bed. Alistair and I had the store to ourselves and we raced through the shopping.
Driving up Hwy. 34 to the Rainbow Pit Trailhead (the 2nd TH off Devil's Gulch Road to Glen Haven), Chad and I discussed various routes and toyed with the idea of running Storm Mountain, but unable to find an easy route off Devil's Gulch Road we went with the original plan and parked up at the base of Crosier Mountain with a number of possible route combos in mind.
It was a beautiful morning, utterly still with just a few snowflakes drifting around as we set out up the very steep opening stretch of the climb. I was working so hard I felt like my two-week return to sea level might make today's climb more strenuous than it might otherwise have been. However, as the gradient settled down to a not-so-brutal incline I found my rhythm and got into a good groove. The final half-mile pitch (500ft) to the summit was as steep as I remembered it from the last time we were there, but I ground it out knowing the beautiful view of Rocky Mountain National Park, Longs and the Mummy peaks were just a few minutes away. Unfortunately, the mountains were sitting in the clouds, so the views weren't great, but I felt like I had put in a decent effort to get up (2,200 ft) in 55 minutes. Chad wasn't far behind, and we turned around pretty quickly for a relaxed 4 mile descent to Glen Haven.
From the Glen Haven TH we agreed to head back up to the summit and then return back to the car from there for what would be a solid 15 miles. The run back up afforded outstanding views of Crosier, which was basking in the morning sun, and I was kicking myself for not bringing the camera. There were a couple of spurs off the Glen Haven section, which could have added a few extra miles, but we agreed that a double ascent would be more than enough for today. I wanted to try and run the last half-mile grind quicker than I did the first time, but by the time I got to the intersection I was beginning to feel the almost 4,000 feet already climbed, and settled for a slow jog which ended up being a minute short (9:00) of the first climb. Total time for the second ascent was just over 57 minutes. After a week of no running, Chad was feeling the climb, and I met him halfway down the last pitch. We eased back down the mountain to the car for a total run time of 3:09:30.
Having now done the Crosier "single" and "double", the next progression for this run will be to add the third spur to the Drake TH, which would add 10 miles, 2,500 feet of climbing and a third ascent of Crosier (Rainbow TH to peak, descend to Glen haven TH and return to peak, descend to Drake TH and return to peak, return to car at Rainbow TH) for approximately 7,000 feet of climbing and close to marathon mileage. Chad and I agreed the "Crosier Treble" would be great training for this year's mountain racing season.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Week Ending Dec 28
Mon -- Off
Tues -- 10 miles easy. To Blean Woods and around 7.5 mile black trail and home.
Weds -- 12 miles easy. Picked up Jim in Whitstable, returned home.
Thurs -- 7 miles easy. Around reservoir near Myers Ashby with Matt.
Fri -- 5 miles, w/ 2.8 mile cross country race. Saltwood Boxing Day Run, 5th place and personal course PR (17:19) with 2 mile warm up.
Sat -- Off
Sun -- 7 miles. Harrietsham 10k (8th) with 1 mile warm up. Set 5k and 10k PRs (17:21, 36:24)
Total: 41 miles.
Three PRs in three days: a stat which makes for yet another PR!
Tues -- 10 miles easy. To Blean Woods and around 7.5 mile black trail and home.
Weds -- 12 miles easy. Picked up Jim in Whitstable, returned home.
Thurs -- 7 miles easy. Around reservoir near Myers Ashby with Matt.
Fri -- 5 miles, w/ 2.8 mile cross country race. Saltwood Boxing Day Run, 5th place and personal course PR (17:19) with 2 mile warm up.
Sat -- Off
Sun -- 7 miles. Harrietsham 10k (8th) with 1 mile warm up. Set 5k and 10k PRs (17:21, 36:24)
Total: 41 miles.
Three PRs in three days: a stat which makes for yet another PR!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Low Altitude Running = PR Frenzy (Harrietsham 10k)
Two days after setting massive personal records (PR) over ~2.8 miles at Saltwood (see below), my brother and I decided to add a final road race before the end of the year. The Harrietsham End of Year 10k was a well-organized event taking place on a cold and somewhat breezy morning. The course was all paved and a little frosty in spots. The first half was downhill to flat and, being an out and back, the second half was an uphill grind.
I went out very hard from the off and was shocked to see 2:55 on my watch through the first km. Either the marker was short or I started out at a sub-30-minute pace! Either way it was way too fast and I knew I would be paying for it later. I went through the second km at 6:17 (3:22) which was a bit slower (33 min pace), but still way too fast. The field was a strong one for a race with less than 200 runners, and a pack of 5 or 6 guys had already put considerable distance between myself and a guy who overtook me in the first couple of kms, and who I was now pacing off. I managed to keep my pacer close through the first half, and we hit the 5k mark in 17:21. Considering 17:21 would be a 40 second PR for me in a 5k race, I was gearing myself up mentally for a very tough second half.
I have just finished a great running novel, which I would recommend to anyone who wants a primer on the mental side of racing. Once a Runner is the story of a college track star who puts life on hold to achieve his inexplicable desire to run faster. He ultimately understands that getting the best from yourself as a runner is less about the physical than it is the mental, and that journey through the second half of the book culminates in a beautiful and highly inspirational (for the runner) last few chapters, which I won't go into right now, but would recommend as required reading for all runners.
Anyway, I tried to utilize a few of the lessons that I took from the book as I headed back up the hill with the wind in my face, and focused on covering distance and maintaining form, while refusing to ease up and take the easy route back to the finish line. Ultimately, I was unable to catch the guy in front of me. However, despite serious fatigue I was able to fend off a fast finish from behind and cross the line in my second PR in three days: 36:24 (a PR by 1:05).
I went out very hard from the off and was shocked to see 2:55 on my watch through the first km. Either the marker was short or I started out at a sub-30-minute pace! Either way it was way too fast and I knew I would be paying for it later. I went through the second km at 6:17 (3:22) which was a bit slower (33 min pace), but still way too fast. The field was a strong one for a race with less than 200 runners, and a pack of 5 or 6 guys had already put considerable distance between myself and a guy who overtook me in the first couple of kms, and who I was now pacing off. I managed to keep my pacer close through the first half, and we hit the 5k mark in 17:21. Considering 17:21 would be a 40 second PR for me in a 5k race, I was gearing myself up mentally for a very tough second half.
I have just finished a great running novel, which I would recommend to anyone who wants a primer on the mental side of racing. Once a Runner is the story of a college track star who puts life on hold to achieve his inexplicable desire to run faster. He ultimately understands that getting the best from yourself as a runner is less about the physical than it is the mental, and that journey through the second half of the book culminates in a beautiful and highly inspirational (for the runner) last few chapters, which I won't go into right now, but would recommend as required reading for all runners.
Anyway, I tried to utilize a few of the lessons that I took from the book as I headed back up the hill with the wind in my face, and focused on covering distance and maintaining form, while refusing to ease up and take the easy route back to the finish line. Ultimately, I was unable to catch the guy in front of me. However, despite serious fatigue I was able to fend off a fast finish from behind and cross the line in my second PR in three days: 36:24 (a PR by 1:05).
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saltwood Goals Exceeded!
As noted in my pre-race post, I had a number of goals coming into my third run around Saltwood. In ascending order they were: finish top ten, finish in a course PR, beat my brother across the finish line.
With course conditions just about optimal for a winter cross-country race in England my expectations were high as I toed the start line for the 34th running of the Boxing Day Run. Aside from one or two patches of sloppy mud, my pre-race warm up (which involved a couple of trial fence jumps for the second of five hazards that had to be negotiated) revealed firm underfoot going. Considering the conditions, I opted to wear my newly acquired, rubber-spiked cross-country flats.
From the off at the village green, I went out at a strong but conservative pace, tucking into about 11th or 12th place. I knew full well that at least 50% of those in front of me were caught up in an adrenaline-fueled frenzy that would last no longer than a mile, and sure enough I began picking a few of them off as I settled into a rhythm across the school playing fields. As I had pre-run this first section of the course, I knew it would be important to get to the first hazard ahead of any type of pack to avoid losing time at a bottleneck, so I pushed hard to get in front of two guys on the slight downhill from the playing fields to the one-person-wide footbridge, which leads to the second hazard and the first gate.
With my two trial jumps over the fence to the side of the gate, I was confident of being able to take it in stride, and was relieved when my hand plant on the top of the fence was solid enough for me to clear it with ease. Immediately following the fence jump is the steepest section of the course across a field to a stile (two planks of wood offset to allow people using public footpaths to climb over farmers' fences). I heard some very heavy breathing behind me half way up the hill, and put in an extra effort to ensure that I wasn't passed before the third and fourth hazard. I got over the stile fairly efficiently, ran up the 10 or 12 steps to a swing gate, and proceeded up the rest of the hill to the Big Field. It was here that I was passed for the first and only time during the race, and to my dismay the boy passing me could have been no more than 15 years old. Anyway, he looked way stronger than me so I let him go in the vain hope that his young age would bring him back to me later in the race.
Once up on the Big Field, runners are afforded a visual of those in front and a chance to count off your position while also seeing who you might be able to pick off before the finish. I set my sights on fifth and sixth: a guy who was clearly hurting and a lanky runner wearing the colours of Folkestone Running Club. I caught the guy in sixth with relative ease and by the 90 degree turn on the field I was slowly making ground on the long-striding Folkestone runner as we headed to the last hazard. By the swing gate, and the wooded section of the course, I had maybe ten meters to make up on fifth (which had now become my goal finish place). Taking a quick look back, I could see that I was putting significant distance on those behind, so felt confident that if I could pick off the guy in front I would finish top five.
Feeling in my element under cover of trees and on nice double-track trail I pushed hard on the downhill, making up a few meters. After the wooded descent, there is a fairly steep pitch up to the final uphill pull. I could see my lanky foe struggling on this section and knew he was done, so I put in a big effort and easily made up the ground pushing into fifth place before summiting for the descent to the finish. I felt absolutely great on the uphill, and was going as fast as my legs would carry me (rather than my lungs), which was a very good feeling and a sign that I am in very good aerobic condition right now.
The run down the last section of footpath felt controlled, and a quick look back as I hit the road back into the village confirmed that I had a lock on fifth. With nobody else in sight in front, I concentrated on keeping form and pushing as hard as I could into the finish. I was elated to see a low 17 minute time on the clock in the final few meters, and punched the stop button on my watch at 17:19, a 1:31 PR!
My brother Matt finished in his own course PR of 20:03 (beating my time from last year), and Jim came in for another PR at around the half hour mark. My 7-year-old cousin Thomas ran across the finish line in an impressive 35 minutes and was followed by his mum and younger brother William a few minutes later. Another fun Boxing Day Run.
With course conditions just about optimal for a winter cross-country race in England my expectations were high as I toed the start line for the 34th running of the Boxing Day Run. Aside from one or two patches of sloppy mud, my pre-race warm up (which involved a couple of trial fence jumps for the second of five hazards that had to be negotiated) revealed firm underfoot going. Considering the conditions, I opted to wear my newly acquired, rubber-spiked cross-country flats.
From the off at the village green, I went out at a strong but conservative pace, tucking into about 11th or 12th place. I knew full well that at least 50% of those in front of me were caught up in an adrenaline-fueled frenzy that would last no longer than a mile, and sure enough I began picking a few of them off as I settled into a rhythm across the school playing fields. As I had pre-run this first section of the course, I knew it would be important to get to the first hazard ahead of any type of pack to avoid losing time at a bottleneck, so I pushed hard to get in front of two guys on the slight downhill from the playing fields to the one-person-wide footbridge, which leads to the second hazard and the first gate.
With my two trial jumps over the fence to the side of the gate, I was confident of being able to take it in stride, and was relieved when my hand plant on the top of the fence was solid enough for me to clear it with ease. Immediately following the fence jump is the steepest section of the course across a field to a stile (two planks of wood offset to allow people using public footpaths to climb over farmers' fences). I heard some very heavy breathing behind me half way up the hill, and put in an extra effort to ensure that I wasn't passed before the third and fourth hazard. I got over the stile fairly efficiently, ran up the 10 or 12 steps to a swing gate, and proceeded up the rest of the hill to the Big Field. It was here that I was passed for the first and only time during the race, and to my dismay the boy passing me could have been no more than 15 years old. Anyway, he looked way stronger than me so I let him go in the vain hope that his young age would bring him back to me later in the race.
Once up on the Big Field, runners are afforded a visual of those in front and a chance to count off your position while also seeing who you might be able to pick off before the finish. I set my sights on fifth and sixth: a guy who was clearly hurting and a lanky runner wearing the colours of Folkestone Running Club. I caught the guy in sixth with relative ease and by the 90 degree turn on the field I was slowly making ground on the long-striding Folkestone runner as we headed to the last hazard. By the swing gate, and the wooded section of the course, I had maybe ten meters to make up on fifth (which had now become my goal finish place). Taking a quick look back, I could see that I was putting significant distance on those behind, so felt confident that if I could pick off the guy in front I would finish top five.
Feeling in my element under cover of trees and on nice double-track trail I pushed hard on the downhill, making up a few meters. After the wooded descent, there is a fairly steep pitch up to the final uphill pull. I could see my lanky foe struggling on this section and knew he was done, so I put in a big effort and easily made up the ground pushing into fifth place before summiting for the descent to the finish. I felt absolutely great on the uphill, and was going as fast as my legs would carry me (rather than my lungs), which was a very good feeling and a sign that I am in very good aerobic condition right now.
The run down the last section of footpath felt controlled, and a quick look back as I hit the road back into the village confirmed that I had a lock on fifth. With nobody else in sight in front, I concentrated on keeping form and pushing as hard as I could into the finish. I was elated to see a low 17 minute time on the clock in the final few meters, and punched the stop button on my watch at 17:19, a 1:31 PR!
My brother Matt finished in his own course PR of 20:03 (beating my time from last year), and Jim came in for another PR at around the half hour mark. My 7-year-old cousin Thomas ran across the finish line in an impressive 35 minutes and was followed by his mum and younger brother William a few minutes later. Another fun Boxing Day Run.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Week ending Dec 21
Mon -- off
Tues -- 8 miles up to Horsetooth via Spring Creek, back down Audra Culver ~ 1,500ft
Weds -- off
Thurs -- Flying to the UK
Fri -- 5 miles w/ 3 laps of the university route
Sat -- off
Sun -- 13 miles out to Whitstable and back, the back leg being at a leisurely pace with one of my oldest buddies, Jim.
Total - 26 miles with very little climbing.
I am calling this a taper week in the build-up to the annual 3 mile romp through the beautiful Kentish countryside, starting and ending in the village of Saltwood. My brother is harboring thoughts of beating me this year, so with sibling rivalries in gear, I am preparing for this run as something of a goal race.
I ran the course in 20:10 last year for a fairly disappointing 20 something place finish, after just finishing out of the top ten in 2006 with a time of 18:50. Being in much better shape this year, I am hoping for a PR, top ten and, most importantly of all, victory over my brother. I took my screw-shoed Inov-8s for a test run up in the woods today, and I think they will do well in providing decent traction through the sloppy conditions that are typical at Saltwood.
As something of a side bet, my brother, Jim and I will be competing in a handicapped system of best percentage time improvement versus last year. Considering my level of fitness last year, I certainly have a margin of imrovemnent to expect and am not totally out of the running, but as my brother has put in his first serious year of training in 2008 (training for Amsterdam Marathon), he is definitely the odds-on favorite in the handicapped version of the race, with Jim a close second. Either way, it will be a fun day as always, and the beer always tastes better after a good slog through the mud.
Tues -- 8 miles up to Horsetooth via Spring Creek, back down Audra Culver ~ 1,500ft
Weds -- off
Thurs -- Flying to the UK
Fri -- 5 miles w/ 3 laps of the university route
Sat -- off
Sun -- 13 miles out to Whitstable and back, the back leg being at a leisurely pace with one of my oldest buddies, Jim.
Total - 26 miles with very little climbing.
I am calling this a taper week in the build-up to the annual 3 mile romp through the beautiful Kentish countryside, starting and ending in the village of Saltwood. My brother is harboring thoughts of beating me this year, so with sibling rivalries in gear, I am preparing for this run as something of a goal race.
I ran the course in 20:10 last year for a fairly disappointing 20 something place finish, after just finishing out of the top ten in 2006 with a time of 18:50. Being in much better shape this year, I am hoping for a PR, top ten and, most importantly of all, victory over my brother. I took my screw-shoed Inov-8s for a test run up in the woods today, and I think they will do well in providing decent traction through the sloppy conditions that are typical at Saltwood.
As something of a side bet, my brother, Jim and I will be competing in a handicapped system of best percentage time improvement versus last year. Considering my level of fitness last year, I certainly have a margin of imrovemnent to expect and am not totally out of the running, but as my brother has put in his first serious year of training in 2008 (training for Amsterdam Marathon), he is definitely the odds-on favorite in the handicapped version of the race, with Jim a close second. Either way, it will be a fun day as always, and the beer always tastes better after a good slog through the mud.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The week ending Dec. 14
Monday -- 6.5 miles up and down Horsetooth. Decided to go tempo once I hit the park. 55 mins total. I think this is a PR over this route; however, only the second time I have timed it (~1,500 elev gain).
Tues -- Off
Weds -- 9.5 miles. Horsetooth Trail Half course, with Spring Creek down from Towers (~2,000 elev gain). 8:58 up Horsetooth Trail.
Thurs -- 6.5 miles. As Monday, except all at easy pace.
Friday -- 23 miles. The Twin Peaks Challenge. Up to Horsetooth and around to Mill Creek along HTH course. Mill Creek into Lory State Park and up to Arthur's Rock. Took Timber Trail to the Lory Visitor Center and decided to run the road back to Arthur's trail head because the trails were so sloppy. Nomad to Towers, to Stout, to Spring Creek, to Horsetooth Falls to parking lot and home. Felt pretty good the whole way around. Much, much better than the one previous time I ran this route earlier in the summer, which ended in a dehydrated plod home. Total run time was 3:40 or so. Elevation gain was probably in the 3,500-4,000 range.
Saturday -- 9 miles (2,500 elevation gain). Climbed to Twin Sisters Peak in Estes with Chad. We had originally planned to do Estes Cone as well, but the weather on top of Twin Sisters was so vicious (winds must have been a steady 70 mph, and without eye protection that hurts) we settled for a warm-down jog around the picturesque Lily Lake.
Sunday -- Christmas Classic 4 miler (26:14). With fresh powder on the roads and temperatures in the low single digits the conditions were trying to say the least. Ended up running three minutes slower than over the same distance on Thanksgving. By beating Santa across the finish line, I snagged a pair of running socks. I also won a large pizza from Panhandlers in the post-race lottery, and picked up a pair of tiger-striped (!) running spikes for $10 on clearance from Foot of the Rockies, the store that put on the race. The spikes will be perfect for the Saltwood Boxing Day run, a 3-mile race that is fast becoming a tradition for the Clark family annual Christmas gathering. The run starts and ends in the village of Saltwood by way of hilly fields, which invariably are very sloppy.
Total: 58.5 miles and 9,000-10,000 total elevation gain.
Tues -- Off
Weds -- 9.5 miles. Horsetooth Trail Half course, with Spring Creek down from Towers (~2,000 elev gain). 8:58 up Horsetooth Trail.
Thurs -- 6.5 miles. As Monday, except all at easy pace.
Friday -- 23 miles. The Twin Peaks Challenge. Up to Horsetooth and around to Mill Creek along HTH course. Mill Creek into Lory State Park and up to Arthur's Rock. Took Timber Trail to the Lory Visitor Center and decided to run the road back to Arthur's trail head because the trails were so sloppy. Nomad to Towers, to Stout, to Spring Creek, to Horsetooth Falls to parking lot and home. Felt pretty good the whole way around. Much, much better than the one previous time I ran this route earlier in the summer, which ended in a dehydrated plod home. Total run time was 3:40 or so. Elevation gain was probably in the 3,500-4,000 range.
Saturday -- 9 miles (2,500 elevation gain). Climbed to Twin Sisters Peak in Estes with Chad. We had originally planned to do Estes Cone as well, but the weather on top of Twin Sisters was so vicious (winds must have been a steady 70 mph, and without eye protection that hurts) we settled for a warm-down jog around the picturesque Lily Lake.
Sunday -- Christmas Classic 4 miler (26:14). With fresh powder on the roads and temperatures in the low single digits the conditions were trying to say the least. Ended up running three minutes slower than over the same distance on Thanksgving. By beating Santa across the finish line, I snagged a pair of running socks. I also won a large pizza from Panhandlers in the post-race lottery, and picked up a pair of tiger-striped (!) running spikes for $10 on clearance from Foot of the Rockies, the store that put on the race. The spikes will be perfect for the Saltwood Boxing Day run, a 3-mile race that is fast becoming a tradition for the Clark family annual Christmas gathering. The run starts and ends in the village of Saltwood by way of hilly fields, which invariably are very sloppy.
Total: 58.5 miles and 9,000-10,000 total elevation gain.
Getting Started
With temperatures in the minus numbers, a pair of sore knees and a heavy week of running just completed, I have decided to take this moment to get a blog up and running. I am doing this primarily as a means of maintaining a record of my runs, something I used to do religiously, but after a six-month, injury-induced running hiatus between August 2007 and February 2008, I decided to quit logging my runs. This was mainly because I attributed my injury, in part, to an obsession with hitting weekly numbers (regardless of how my body felt).
The injury was especially unfortunate as it came two weeks before the Leadville 100, an event for which I had been logging big miles for over 12 months. I ended up toeing the line, despite barely being able to walk, and dropping 25 miles later at the Fish Hatchery. I mean to race Leadville again in 2009, and am shooting for a sub-20-hour, top-ten finish. This being my primary focus, I am sure it will be referenced frequently in the coming months.
Since coming back from injury, my running philosophy has become much more relaxed, and I have assumed a 'run by feel' approach to my training. That is to say, I run on a regular basis, but am no longer a slave to schedules, numbers or times. With that said, I am beginning to realize that record keeping is still a useful and necessary training tool; hence the blog.
A quick primer on my running career: it began as a mission to complete a marathon, which once completed (Detroit 2004, 3:28) became a mission to qualify for Boston (New York 2005, 3:07), which in turn became a mission to go under three hours (Marine Corps, D.C. 2006, 2:54).
Following our move to Fort Collins, CO, my focus changed to longer distances and a preoccupation with the 100-mile distance in particular. I trained well for Leadville, and was posting some competitive trail times and finishes before succumbing to a debilitating lower-back injury which appeared to be linked to a stress fracture in my pelvic bone, an injury that had been bugging me for months but not enough to slow me down. Lesson learned. Pay attention to pain.
Anyway, I was finally forced to follow the doctor's advice and took time to let things heal. Fast forward six months and 20 pounds of weight gain, and I was horribly out of shape and finding it very hard to get motivated to run again.
Being out of shape, with nothing but steep mountain trails to train on, made getting out the door to run on a regular basis very difficult, to say the least. I finally re-found my rhythm after a friend from the Fort Collins Running Club asked me if I would pace her at the Badwater 135 ultramarathon through Death Valley. This really got me motivated to run again as it is an event that has intrigued me for quite some time, and I really wanted to be able to help Alene achieve her goal. The training paid off and I was able to pace Alene through the last 45 miles of the course, helping her hit the tape in under 48 hours for a belt-buckle finish. We mostly walked, and it was a very long walk for sure, but it was a truly memorable experience, and one that I use as a motivator on a regular basis. Alene's pictures and reports from Badwater are available from her blog.
Training for Badwater was just what I needed to get back in the groove, and soon after returning to Fort Collins I was on the interwebs looking for a late-season challenge, which quickly centered on Steamboat in September. My ambition to race in the Run Rabbit Run 50 was the final tool I needed to reinvigorate my running obsession (obsessions can be good).
By September and Steamboat, with some encouraging shorter races along the way, I felt like I was back in decent shape and ready to lay it down. Steamboat went well, all things considered. I was edged into a third-place finish after tracking Ryan Burch, who ran almost pillar to post in first, for approximately 40 miles. He was never any more than three or four minutes ahead of me and frequently within eyesight. I finally reeled him in at the penultimate aid station after working with Todd Trapp to do so. Between the last two aid stations, I decided to make a move for the win, and quickly gapped Todd and Ryan, both of whom I thought were done for the day. Turns out I was the one who was done and a few miles later Ryan came storming back to pass me and he was soon followed by Todd. I was satisfied to put it in neutral back down Mount Werner to the finish (6 miles and 3,000 feet of descent) for a third-place finish, and a goal of running sub-nine hours met (8:42).
Since then, I have set shorter-distance PRs (37:29 10K, 18:02 5k, 23:24 4 mile) and definitely feel like I am ready to train through the winter for a strong start to 2009. My first major test leading up to Leadville will be the Spring Desert Ultra 50 mile in April, an event I dropped out of at the 25 mile turnaround in 2007 after experiencing severe groin pain from about the 12 mile point. Turns out this was the beginning of the end with regards to Leadville that year.
I am also planning some epic runs through Rocky Mountain National Park and the surrounding area with Chad Johnson, another recent transplant to Northern Colorado, and someone who shares my affinity for running up steep mountain trails. Chad was a mountain rescue volunteer in Washington state before moving with his family to Loveland, so he is the perfect running partner for a mountain neophyte from Southeast England, such as myself. We're already tossing around some planned routes, and I simply can't wait for spring to get here.
The injury was especially unfortunate as it came two weeks before the Leadville 100, an event for which I had been logging big miles for over 12 months. I ended up toeing the line, despite barely being able to walk, and dropping 25 miles later at the Fish Hatchery. I mean to race Leadville again in 2009, and am shooting for a sub-20-hour, top-ten finish. This being my primary focus, I am sure it will be referenced frequently in the coming months.
Since coming back from injury, my running philosophy has become much more relaxed, and I have assumed a 'run by feel' approach to my training. That is to say, I run on a regular basis, but am no longer a slave to schedules, numbers or times. With that said, I am beginning to realize that record keeping is still a useful and necessary training tool; hence the blog.
A quick primer on my running career: it began as a mission to complete a marathon, which once completed (Detroit 2004, 3:28) became a mission to qualify for Boston (New York 2005, 3:07), which in turn became a mission to go under three hours (Marine Corps, D.C. 2006, 2:54).
Following our move to Fort Collins, CO, my focus changed to longer distances and a preoccupation with the 100-mile distance in particular. I trained well for Leadville, and was posting some competitive trail times and finishes before succumbing to a debilitating lower-back injury which appeared to be linked to a stress fracture in my pelvic bone, an injury that had been bugging me for months but not enough to slow me down. Lesson learned. Pay attention to pain.
Anyway, I was finally forced to follow the doctor's advice and took time to let things heal. Fast forward six months and 20 pounds of weight gain, and I was horribly out of shape and finding it very hard to get motivated to run again.
Being out of shape, with nothing but steep mountain trails to train on, made getting out the door to run on a regular basis very difficult, to say the least. I finally re-found my rhythm after a friend from the Fort Collins Running Club asked me if I would pace her at the Badwater 135 ultramarathon through Death Valley. This really got me motivated to run again as it is an event that has intrigued me for quite some time, and I really wanted to be able to help Alene achieve her goal. The training paid off and I was able to pace Alene through the last 45 miles of the course, helping her hit the tape in under 48 hours for a belt-buckle finish. We mostly walked, and it was a very long walk for sure, but it was a truly memorable experience, and one that I use as a motivator on a regular basis. Alene's pictures and reports from Badwater are available from her blog.
Training for Badwater was just what I needed to get back in the groove, and soon after returning to Fort Collins I was on the interwebs looking for a late-season challenge, which quickly centered on Steamboat in September. My ambition to race in the Run Rabbit Run 50 was the final tool I needed to reinvigorate my running obsession (obsessions can be good).
By September and Steamboat, with some encouraging shorter races along the way, I felt like I was back in decent shape and ready to lay it down. Steamboat went well, all things considered. I was edged into a third-place finish after tracking Ryan Burch, who ran almost pillar to post in first, for approximately 40 miles. He was never any more than three or four minutes ahead of me and frequently within eyesight. I finally reeled him in at the penultimate aid station after working with Todd Trapp to do so. Between the last two aid stations, I decided to make a move for the win, and quickly gapped Todd and Ryan, both of whom I thought were done for the day. Turns out I was the one who was done and a few miles later Ryan came storming back to pass me and he was soon followed by Todd. I was satisfied to put it in neutral back down Mount Werner to the finish (6 miles and 3,000 feet of descent) for a third-place finish, and a goal of running sub-nine hours met (8:42).
Since then, I have set shorter-distance PRs (37:29 10K, 18:02 5k, 23:24 4 mile) and definitely feel like I am ready to train through the winter for a strong start to 2009. My first major test leading up to Leadville will be the Spring Desert Ultra 50 mile in April, an event I dropped out of at the 25 mile turnaround in 2007 after experiencing severe groin pain from about the 12 mile point. Turns out this was the beginning of the end with regards to Leadville that year.
I am also planning some epic runs through Rocky Mountain National Park and the surrounding area with Chad Johnson, another recent transplant to Northern Colorado, and someone who shares my affinity for running up steep mountain trails. Chad was a mountain rescue volunteer in Washington state before moving with his family to Loveland, so he is the perfect running partner for a mountain neophyte from Southeast England, such as myself. We're already tossing around some planned routes, and I simply can't wait for spring to get here.
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