Mon - 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long.
Tues - Noon: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long.
PM: 11 miles track. 2 mile warm up, then 3 x 2 mile with half-mile jog between reps, two mile c-d. Met Brian and jogged out the warm up with him. Sam, a triathlon guy, jumped in on the last couple of warm-up laps looking for a workout, so I ended up running with him. Goal was to run 5:40 pace to see how that felt vis-a-vis a half marathon effort, and the answer is that I ain't there just yet, especially at 5,000 feet. Splits went: 11:05 (5:38, 5:27), 11:01 (5:34, 5:27), 11:09 (5:31, 5:38). First and second intervals were pretty smooth, but last mile of the final one was a big old grind, which was discouraging.
Weds - Noon: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long. First big snow dump of the year, and it was a big one. Ah, yes, the joys of breaking trail.
PM: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long. At least the trail was somewhat broken in.
Thurs - AM: 10 miles (1,800'). Towers with Pete, Slush and Celeste. Towers had been plowed to Westridge which was nice. Last section to the top was pretty hard going, but as always in the snow, a great workout. Clear skies and bright stars as I left the house and then awesome views of the low cloud base over Fort Collins from on top of Towers as day was breaking. As much as I hate getting out of bed at 0 dark 30, the running is nearly always awesome as night turns to day, especially with expansive views to the east.
Noon: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long. Snow looks like it will be gone in a day or two.
Fri - Noon: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long.
Sat - AM: 26 miles (3,400') easy. Ran around the reservoir from my house via 38e, Centennial, Lory Rd to East Valley Trail, then Towers - Secret Trail - Westridge - Rock - Audra - Southridge - home long. Worked it a bit around the south side of the reservoir after a slow start, then met Pete at the top of the 'A' on Centennial and ran conversationally from there. Dragged arse up Towers. Felt gimpy all the way up my right leg through the second half of the run, from my ankle to my glute, which was pretty unpleasant. Not a great run by any stretch of the imagination.
Sun - AM: 25 miles (6,400') easy. Chubby Cheeks Marathon route: Rock - Southridge - Audra - Rock - Soderberg - Spring Creek - Stout - Herrington - Spring Creek - Mill Creek - Howard - Arthurs - Valley - Sawmill - Loggers - Carey Springs - Towers - Secret - Westridge - Wathen - Spring Creeek - Falls. Went easy with my neighbor Mike, and while I dragged a bit on the last big climb up to Westridge, I felt 100% better than I did yesterday, which was a pleasant surprise.
Total: 102 miles (17,600')
Got the email from the folks in San Fran that I'm off the waiting list and free to register for the 50-miler in December. Figured I'd wait until my long runs this weekend to see if I want to commit the time, money, and effort. I've never run the coastal trails in Marin, and I'm sure they are thoroughly breathtaking, but this race is about the competition and the loot. There will be a ton of fast guys there looking for a slice of the $30k that's up for grabs, so there's really no point in heading out there unless I think I've got at least an outside shot of getting on the podium.
While my runs weren't great this weekend, the Sunday run did at least feel easy enough that I think I'm getting to where I need to be with regards to durability. There's still time to work on speed, but this close to the race my legs have to at least feel like they are approaching a state of preparedness to go the distance at a hard effort. Feeling things open up on the second long run of the weekend suggested that I may be getting there, so I guess I'll commit the entry fee funds tonight and then if I have a good weekend next weekend, I'll commit the airfare funds too. It's a roll of the dice with so many talented guys in the field, combined with my sub-optimal build-up, but I'm a gambling man and I guess I'm feeling kinda sorta like I'm ready to let rip.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Week Ending October 23
Mon - AM: 9 miles (2,100') easy. Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Loggers - Carey Springs - Towers - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderberg - home long. Felt some good flow on a windy day.
PM: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long. Took a pretty nasty spill half way around in the fading light. Caught a rock on a short stretch of techy downhill, tried to save it but ended up taking a rock squarely to my right lower back with secondary abrasions to my elbow and lower leg. Had to stop and gather there for a bit.
Tues - Noon: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long. My lower back was thankfully not to sore from yesterday's digger. Run felt good.
PM: 8 miles track with Eric, Brian S and Slush. 5 x 1 mile with quarter mile jog between reps. Mile w-u, then 5:35, 5:25, 5:26, 5:28, 5:26, mile c-d. Ran all of these with Eric, working harder than I would have liked, but pleased to at least run consistently under 5:30.
Weds - noon: 8.5 miles (2,100') easy. Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Herrington - Spring Creek - Wathen - Rock Trail - Soderberg - home long. Beautiful and calm fall weather. The running felt effortless today, especially the climbs, with nary a niggle to be felt. Wish they could all be like this.
Thurs - AM: 10 miles hill tempo (1,400'). The HTH5MO&B - or Horsetooth Half 5 Mile Out & Back - was a staple workout last winter, and is now back in the rotation for our little Thursday morning group. For this workout, we typically go out to the 5 mile point of the HTH course at a relatively easy pace and then come back at a half marathon type effort. Centennial, which is the road that rides the east side of the reservoir is perhaps the most scenic paved road in Fort Collins, but what really makes the workout are the hills, which vary from very steep to long and drawn out. The turnaround point is about a half mile north of the north dam, so the return trip at tempo begins with a big, steep climb over the dam, and is followed by a mixture of shorter climbs and descents, a couple of big descents and some longer grinding stuff, with not a whole lot in between. One of the best workouts in town.
Anyway, this morning for the first one of the season we had Pete, Sarah, Eric, Brian, Nicole, Slush and Celeste in attendance. Went out at a social pace with Sarah, Eric and Pete in 39:15 and then came back with Eric in 30:50 (6:10): 7:19, 6:14, 6:32, 5:34, 5:14. I normally come back solo on these workouts, so it was good to have Eric there to keep me honest. I think this is the fastest I've done the return five, but then it's also about as hard as I've worked for them.
PM: 8.5 miles (1,700') easy. Towers in 37:50 with Ryan and Pete. A little gimpy in the right calf from the morning, so just jogged out the climb. Beautiful evening. A total of 16 FCTR on the hill tonight.
Fri - PM: 7 miles (1,600'). Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderberg - home long. Another gorgeous evening. Still kind of sore in the lower legs from the Centennial workout Thursday morning. Deer everywhere.
Sat - AM: 19.5 miles (2,700'). Runners Without Borders fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders' work in drought- and famine-stricken Somalia. I pledged .01 per foot of accumulated gain and while my $27 donation was but a drop in the ocean, the combined drops of the 100 or so runners out on the trails of Horsetooth/Lory on Saturday added up to a total of roughly $4,000 (a figure that will be doubled by a matching donation from a wealthy and generous lady who is currently challenging people to give). Consider pledging yourselves if you happen to read this and think you can spare a few dollars to help save lives in the Horn of Africa where literally tens of thousand of people are currently in danger of dying, a fact that for whatever reason is getting zero coverage in today's insane age of 24 hour news. It's not sexy and it's not clever, but it is very real. Scott, thanks for making us think beyond our safe and very comfortable borders!
Sun - 25.5 miles (5,500'). 4:05. AM run with Dakota. Sold this one as a 25 miler at 50-mile pace, but I think we got kinda lazy as the morning rolled on. From my house we went: Rock Trail - Soderberg - Spring Creek - Towers - Stout - Sawmill - Valley - Visitors Center - Timber - Westridge (Lory) - Howard - Mill Creek - Towers - Westridge (H'tooth) - Rock - home. Took a huge digger a few miles in on Stout and ripped up my right side pretty good. I wasn't sure I could continue there for a couple of minutes, thinking that I done damage to my rib cage, but finally got my bearings and headed on. My hip, which took the brunt of the fall was throbbing pretty badly towards the end of the run, so I had to soft step the last few descents and let Dakota take off. This route times two would make for an 11,000 foot 50 miler. Mark your calendars for mid April, it's gonna be a beast (permits pending).
Total: 106 miles (19,300').
Two big falls this week has me all bloodied up, but I'm still running. Despite the skids, I got some good work done, which has me feeling a little like I'm gaining some fitness. Still not sure if I'm going to get to run the NF50 race in December as I'm still on the wait list, but I guess I'll continue to train as if I am. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to pounding out a few road races, including a half marathon down in Loveland in a couple of weeks.
Think there is a little running action down in Boulder this Saturday, but it's looking somewhat doubtful that I'll be able to make it, which is a shame as it's been a while since I've run down in The Republic. Ah well, next time. Anyway, this is but the first in a three-part series of trail-run gatherings. In December, we'll be bringing the Front Range Fat Ass series up to The Fort for the second annual Chubasaurus Maxamaurus. Full details on that to come in a few weeks, but really all you need to know is that it will feature 27 miles of glorious singletrack, 4 miles of dirt road, 100 meters of asphalt, two summits of local peaks, 7,500 feet of vertical gain and even some Pearl Izumi giveaways. Just bring beer!
PM: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long. Took a pretty nasty spill half way around in the fading light. Caught a rock on a short stretch of techy downhill, tried to save it but ended up taking a rock squarely to my right lower back with secondary abrasions to my elbow and lower leg. Had to stop and gather there for a bit.
Tues - Noon: 5 miles (1,000') easy. Falls long. My lower back was thankfully not to sore from yesterday's digger. Run felt good.
PM: 8 miles track with Eric, Brian S and Slush. 5 x 1 mile with quarter mile jog between reps. Mile w-u, then 5:35, 5:25, 5:26, 5:28, 5:26, mile c-d. Ran all of these with Eric, working harder than I would have liked, but pleased to at least run consistently under 5:30.
Weds - noon: 8.5 miles (2,100') easy. Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Herrington - Spring Creek - Wathen - Rock Trail - Soderberg - home long. Beautiful and calm fall weather. The running felt effortless today, especially the climbs, with nary a niggle to be felt. Wish they could all be like this.
Thurs - AM: 10 miles hill tempo (1,400'). The HTH5MO&B - or Horsetooth Half 5 Mile Out & Back - was a staple workout last winter, and is now back in the rotation for our little Thursday morning group. For this workout, we typically go out to the 5 mile point of the HTH course at a relatively easy pace and then come back at a half marathon type effort. Centennial, which is the road that rides the east side of the reservoir is perhaps the most scenic paved road in Fort Collins, but what really makes the workout are the hills, which vary from very steep to long and drawn out. The turnaround point is about a half mile north of the north dam, so the return trip at tempo begins with a big, steep climb over the dam, and is followed by a mixture of shorter climbs and descents, a couple of big descents and some longer grinding stuff, with not a whole lot in between. One of the best workouts in town.
Anyway, this morning for the first one of the season we had Pete, Sarah, Eric, Brian, Nicole, Slush and Celeste in attendance. Went out at a social pace with Sarah, Eric and Pete in 39:15 and then came back with Eric in 30:50 (6:10): 7:19, 6:14, 6:32, 5:34, 5:14. I normally come back solo on these workouts, so it was good to have Eric there to keep me honest. I think this is the fastest I've done the return five, but then it's also about as hard as I've worked for them.
PM: 8.5 miles (1,700') easy. Towers in 37:50 with Ryan and Pete. A little gimpy in the right calf from the morning, so just jogged out the climb. Beautiful evening. A total of 16 FCTR on the hill tonight.
Fri - PM: 7 miles (1,600'). Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderberg - home long. Another gorgeous evening. Still kind of sore in the lower legs from the Centennial workout Thursday morning. Deer everywhere.
Sat - AM: 19.5 miles (2,700'). Runners Without Borders fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders' work in drought- and famine-stricken Somalia. I pledged .01 per foot of accumulated gain and while my $27 donation was but a drop in the ocean, the combined drops of the 100 or so runners out on the trails of Horsetooth/Lory on Saturday added up to a total of roughly $4,000 (a figure that will be doubled by a matching donation from a wealthy and generous lady who is currently challenging people to give). Consider pledging yourselves if you happen to read this and think you can spare a few dollars to help save lives in the Horn of Africa where literally tens of thousand of people are currently in danger of dying, a fact that for whatever reason is getting zero coverage in today's insane age of 24 hour news. It's not sexy and it's not clever, but it is very real. Scott, thanks for making us think beyond our safe and very comfortable borders!
Total: 106 miles (19,300').
Two big falls this week has me all bloodied up, but I'm still running. Despite the skids, I got some good work done, which has me feeling a little like I'm gaining some fitness. Still not sure if I'm going to get to run the NF50 race in December as I'm still on the wait list, but I guess I'll continue to train as if I am. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to pounding out a few road races, including a half marathon down in Loveland in a couple of weeks.
Think there is a little running action down in Boulder this Saturday, but it's looking somewhat doubtful that I'll be able to make it, which is a shame as it's been a while since I've run down in The Republic. Ah well, next time. Anyway, this is but the first in a three-part series of trail-run gatherings. In December, we'll be bringing the Front Range Fat Ass series up to The Fort for the second annual Chubasaurus Maxamaurus. Full details on that to come in a few weeks, but really all you need to know is that it will feature 27 miles of glorious singletrack, 4 miles of dirt road, 100 meters of asphalt, two summits of local peaks, 7,500 feet of vertical gain and even some Pearl Izumi giveaways. Just bring beer!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Week Ending Oct 16
Mon - Noon: 6.5 miles (1,400') easy. Soderberg - Spring Creek - Herrington - Stout - Spring Creek - Falls.
PM: 4.5 miles (900') easy. Falls loop.
Tues - Noon: 7.5 miles (1,600') easy. Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Towers - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderberg. Failed to get out of bed for a planned early longer run, so had to settle for a shorter lunch run. Lazy.
PM - 5.5 miles track. End of season relays. 800 open, then 800, 400, 200, 100. 2:38, 2:31, 64, no split for 200, 100.
Weds - AM: 8.5 miles (1,800') easy. Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Loggers - Carey Springs - Towers - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderberg.
PM - 4.5 miles (900') easy. Falls loop.
Thurs AM- 8.5 miles (2,900') hill repeats. Horsetooth Hill Intervals with Eric, Pete and Sarah. Workout went: 3 x 1/4 (+185' each), 2 x 1/2 (+380'), 1 x 3/4 (+550'). Supposed to finish with a mile and summit of Horsetooth, but short on time, so we had to settle for a steady 1/2 mile climb by going the long way back to my house. First three intervals with headlamp. Splits were: 2:44, 2:44, 2:39, 5:40, 5:43, 8:50. This workout always kills me, but I hope to hit it on a fairly regular basis for the next six or seven weeks to gauge fitness and also as a great strength builder.
PM - 6 miles social run with FCTR group. Downhill trail mile at the end: 5:00.
Fri - Off. Dana in Michigan, so no chance to run.
Sat - Off. See above.
Sun 11 miles (2,600') steady. 1:39. Falls - Spring Creek - Mill Creek - Logger - Sawmill - Stout - Spring Creek - Falls. My neighbor, Brad, kindly offered to watch the kids for an hour and a half so I could get a run in. Given the lack of running the previous two days and my short window, I decided to push a bit on the middle miles up Spring Creek and on the Mill Creek descent. Felt particularly coordinated on the descent which is always a good feeling.
Total: 62.5 miles (12,100')
Two days off this week with Dana in Michigan early Friday to late Sunday. Tried to make up for it by front-loading the week with a bunch of double days, but it was still a pretty light week. Starting to feel some fitness come back, and I always enjoy being able to get out twice a day when the weather is as beautiful as it has been recently. Motivated for a solid four- to five-week training block packed full of quality work and lengthy runs.
Some images from Silent Trails last weekend and a nice piece in the local rag:
PM: 4.5 miles (900') easy. Falls loop.
Tues - Noon: 7.5 miles (1,600') easy. Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Towers - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderberg. Failed to get out of bed for a planned early longer run, so had to settle for a shorter lunch run. Lazy.
PM - 5.5 miles track. End of season relays. 800 open, then 800, 400, 200, 100. 2:38, 2:31, 64, no split for 200, 100.
Weds - AM: 8.5 miles (1,800') easy. Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Loggers - Carey Springs - Towers - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderberg.
PM - 4.5 miles (900') easy. Falls loop.
Thurs AM- 8.5 miles (2,900') hill repeats. Horsetooth Hill Intervals with Eric, Pete and Sarah. Workout went: 3 x 1/4 (+185' each), 2 x 1/2 (+380'), 1 x 3/4 (+550'). Supposed to finish with a mile and summit of Horsetooth, but short on time, so we had to settle for a steady 1/2 mile climb by going the long way back to my house. First three intervals with headlamp. Splits were: 2:44, 2:44, 2:39, 5:40, 5:43, 8:50. This workout always kills me, but I hope to hit it on a fairly regular basis for the next six or seven weeks to gauge fitness and also as a great strength builder.
PM - 6 miles social run with FCTR group. Downhill trail mile at the end: 5:00.
Fri - Off. Dana in Michigan, so no chance to run.
Sat - Off. See above.
Sun 11 miles (2,600') steady. 1:39. Falls - Spring Creek - Mill Creek - Logger - Sawmill - Stout - Spring Creek - Falls. My neighbor, Brad, kindly offered to watch the kids for an hour and a half so I could get a run in. Given the lack of running the previous two days and my short window, I decided to push a bit on the middle miles up Spring Creek and on the Mill Creek descent. Felt particularly coordinated on the descent which is always a good feeling.
Total: 62.5 miles (12,100')
Two days off this week with Dana in Michigan early Friday to late Sunday. Tried to make up for it by front-loading the week with a bunch of double days, but it was still a pretty light week. Starting to feel some fitness come back, and I always enjoy being able to get out twice a day when the weather is as beautiful as it has been recently. Motivated for a solid four- to five-week training block packed full of quality work and lengthy runs.
Some images from Silent Trails last weekend and a nice piece in the local rag:
It started out innocently enough. Delaney, Mock, Clark, Driver (UoW singlet), Bergman (shades).
Then it just got silly.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Week Ending October 9
Mon - 6.5 miles (1,400') easy. Falls - Spring Creek - Stout - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderberg.
Tues - 6 miles track. 2 mile w-u, 800 open, then 2x800, 400, 1,600, 2x400: 2:38, 2:37, 2:34, 75, 5:23, 80, 74. This one was a shock to the system. Gonna take a while to get back into the swing of interval work, but it feels good to turn the legs over.
Weds - 28 miles (8,500'). Andrews Peak, Ptarmigan Mountain.
Thurs - AM: 8 miles (800') easy. Bluesky with Brian S, Sarah and Pete.
PM: 7 miles (1,700'). Towers steady (34:50)
Fri - 4.5 miles (900') easy. Falls loop.
Sat - 12 miles (1,300'). 1.5 mile w-u. Silent Trails 10.5 mile race.
Sun - 10 miles (2,000') easy. 38e - Bluesky - Towers - Secret Trail - Westridge - Rock - Soderberg - home. Sore right leg everywhere, but mainly in the groin. Tripping and stumbling like I was drunk.
Total: 82 miles (15,700')
Felt like a decent week getting back into it. Can't say I felt particularly fresh, but I think that would take a month of no running to achieve and I'm not really interested in that at this time of year. The track workout was a rude awakening, with some lung burn on the first couple of 800s, but you've got to start somewhere.
Thinking I might run the Boyd Lake Half Marathon in Loveland next month. If I can run it faster than I did last year - when I was in a similar state of non-preparedness for road racing - then I'm thinking the road marathon might be something worth pursuing early next year. I have little to no interest in running a road marathon for the experience, as they tend to be expensive and not very inspiring, so it would be all about the black and white - a time trial - which means serious work in getting ready. Luckily I have a good Tuesday and Thursday winter group to help with that, so it shouldn't be too painful if I chose to go there.
People are starting to chatter a bit about the upcoming lottery season, a time when racing plans tend to start coming together. Obviously the two big ones in the 100-mile game are Western States and Hardrock. The Hardrock lottery comes after my deadline for committing to or passing on the auto slot I have for WS. I guess I'll wait to see if I get into Hardrock, and then if not look to qualify for Western States at either Bandera or Leona Divide potentially taking a run at the Ultra Cup in the process (should I qualify for WS). Or do something entirely different, like get back into rugby.
This pic popped up on my wife's Facebook the other day. Good times. I think I was younger than Dakota then. Front row, second from left.
Kent College 1st XV (1991, I think).
Tues - 6 miles track. 2 mile w-u, 800 open, then 2x800, 400, 1,600, 2x400: 2:38, 2:37, 2:34, 75, 5:23, 80, 74. This one was a shock to the system. Gonna take a while to get back into the swing of interval work, but it feels good to turn the legs over.
Weds - 28 miles (8,500'). Andrews Peak, Ptarmigan Mountain.
Thurs - AM: 8 miles (800') easy. Bluesky with Brian S, Sarah and Pete.
PM: 7 miles (1,700'). Towers steady (34:50)
Fri - 4.5 miles (900') easy. Falls loop.
Sat - 12 miles (1,300'). 1.5 mile w-u. Silent Trails 10.5 mile race.
Sun - 10 miles (2,000') easy. 38e - Bluesky - Towers - Secret Trail - Westridge - Rock - Soderberg - home. Sore right leg everywhere, but mainly in the groin. Tripping and stumbling like I was drunk.
Total: 82 miles (15,700')
Felt like a decent week getting back into it. Can't say I felt particularly fresh, but I think that would take a month of no running to achieve and I'm not really interested in that at this time of year. The track workout was a rude awakening, with some lung burn on the first couple of 800s, but you've got to start somewhere.
Thinking I might run the Boyd Lake Half Marathon in Loveland next month. If I can run it faster than I did last year - when I was in a similar state of non-preparedness for road racing - then I'm thinking the road marathon might be something worth pursuing early next year. I have little to no interest in running a road marathon for the experience, as they tend to be expensive and not very inspiring, so it would be all about the black and white - a time trial - which means serious work in getting ready. Luckily I have a good Tuesday and Thursday winter group to help with that, so it shouldn't be too painful if I chose to go there.
People are starting to chatter a bit about the upcoming lottery season, a time when racing plans tend to start coming together. Obviously the two big ones in the 100-mile game are Western States and Hardrock. The Hardrock lottery comes after my deadline for committing to or passing on the auto slot I have for WS. I guess I'll wait to see if I get into Hardrock, and then if not look to qualify for Western States at either Bandera or Leona Divide potentially taking a run at the Ultra Cup in the process (should I qualify for WS). Or do something entirely different, like get back into rugby.
This pic popped up on my wife's Facebook the other day. Good times. I think I was younger than Dakota then. Front row, second from left.
Kent College 1st XV (1991, I think).
Monday, October 10, 2011
Silent Trails 2011
Awesome running conditions. Pic pilfered from J. Mock
I'm usually pretty lucky when it comes to the weather and racing; however, I've had a dry ... er, wet ... spell of fortune the last three outings.It rained chiens et chats for the first three hours at UTMB in August; while at Steamboat in September it poured, blew and generally sucked for the last three hours; and then this weekend at the Silent Trails 10 miler we were treated to a driving snow storm that began a convenient half hour before the race. But one would expect no less from a race taking place in and around Laramie, Wyoming.
I had few, if any expectations going into this one. I won it last year in blustery, cold conditions, but mainly due to a lack of competition rather than anything outstanding on my part. For this year's rendition, I knew that there was very little chance that I would defend my title, as Wyoming alum and recent 2:20 marathoner Jason Delaney was slated to be there, while an in-form and fit Justin Mock had been planning on it for months. Coming off a long summer season and weeks with little to no training, I was just hoping for a read on my (un) fitness.
By the time we were sent off into the abyss, the snow was coming down pretty hard and there was already a half inch of slick accumulation on the ground. I hung with Justin and Jason for, oh, a quarter mile and then on the slippery first descent decided that I needed to just get through this one, so settled into what felt like a comfortably hard effort.
Three miles into the race, I got my last look at the lead two and was impressed to see Justin hanging with Jason as they crossed the creek before the slow climb up to the big 'Death Crotch Hill' grunt. Me, I was laboring and feeling like I was working entirely too hard for the pitiful output I was producing. A quick look back and I could see the UW cross country shirt of Ragan Driver - a fixture at the Laramie trail events. The fact that I could see Ragan meant that he was definitely close as visibility through the snow was becoming really poor.
Going up Death Crotch, I was hopeless, and Ragan closed to within a switchback. However, I was able to hold onto the lead as we found the top of the climb and began the plunge into the exposed expanses of the course's 9,000+' high meadows. The fine, icy snow was driving straight into our eyes up here and I could barely see through my stinging tears. I dropped my shades to protect my eyes, and even though I could only just see through the icy crust on the lenses, it was better than the stinging eyeball lashing that was the alternative. It was now as much as I could do to make out my next footfalls, many of which went down in blind hope. I caught a ton of rocks and roots and was slipping and tripping all over the place, but miraculously managed to stay on my feet the whole run.
This continued until we were finally back in the trees and enjoying some protection from the elements. Somehow, I had managed to put some time on Ragan up high, and so I was able to cruise it into the finish for third place and a disappointing 1:16, a full five minutes behind my unfit self from last year over the 10.5 mile course. Tough to say if the conditions were worth five minutes, but quite possibly.
Eric and I walking to the awards. Pic: Mock
Nonetheless, another fun morning up in Laramie catching up with the southern Wyoming running crowd and other good friends. While they never make it easy in Wyoming, I wouldn't have it any other way, which is why I'll be back up there in February for the infamous and sadistic Twin Mountain Trudge.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Andrews Pk, Ptarmigan Mtn, But No Dead Buck
Ptarmigan Mountain
It's almost time for the high alpine to disappear under its snowy canvas for the year, so I took the opportunity for one last trip up high to accompany my friend Eric in the hunt for a dead deer.
Eric researches mortality rates among deer herds around the state, and part of his research involves collaring deer and tracking how, why and at what rate they die in relation to other variables such as buck to doe ratios among the herd. He was telling me the other day that one of his deer collars had been transmitting a mortality signal from a very remote part of Rocky Mountain National Park and that he was planing on retrieving the collar and conducting a post-mortem on the buck.
Knowing that the running season up there would be closing down any day, I was immediately offering company, but suggested we take the longer way in from Bear Lake rather than driving all the way to Long Lake to save a few miles of running. Eric was game and the hunt was on.
Our route went over the Continental Divide by way of Flattop Mountain from Bear Lake, and then all the way down into the North Inlet and partially up the other side to a big basin below Andrews Peak, which shares a ridgeline with the hugely impressive Ptarmigan Mountain. We retraced our steps coming back but cut the Divide just short of Flattop by way of Andrews Pass for the fun glissade down Andrews Glacier.
All told we were 28 miles on the morning with a whopping 8,500 feet of vertical gain between the elevations of 9,400' and 12,300' on what was an awesome, awesome final outing of the season. Ultimately our mission to track down the dead buck was unsuccessful, which was a bummer for Eric, but for me...well I was just along for the ride.
Eric researches mortality rates among deer herds around the state, and part of his research involves collaring deer and tracking how, why and at what rate they die in relation to other variables such as buck to doe ratios among the herd. He was telling me the other day that one of his deer collars had been transmitting a mortality signal from a very remote part of Rocky Mountain National Park and that he was planing on retrieving the collar and conducting a post-mortem on the buck.
Knowing that the running season up there would be closing down any day, I was immediately offering company, but suggested we take the longer way in from Bear Lake rather than driving all the way to Long Lake to save a few miles of running. Eric was game and the hunt was on.
Our route went over the Continental Divide by way of Flattop Mountain from Bear Lake, and then all the way down into the North Inlet and partially up the other side to a big basin below Andrews Peak, which shares a ridgeline with the hugely impressive Ptarmigan Mountain. We retraced our steps coming back but cut the Divide just short of Flattop by way of Andrews Pass for the fun glissade down Andrews Glacier.
All told we were 28 miles on the morning with a whopping 8,500 feet of vertical gain between the elevations of 9,400' and 12,300' on what was an awesome, awesome final outing of the season. Ultimately our mission to track down the dead buck was unsuccessful, which was a bummer for Eric, but for me...well I was just along for the ride.
Pristine alpine tundra at about 12,000' on a very windy Flattop. Early morning view of Hallet.
Fog was moving through quickly on Flattop, but the higher clouds seemed fairly benign so we forged on with the planned route. Hallet behind the fog from Flattop Summit.
Andrews (left), unnamed 12k' peak center, Ptarmigan right. From North Inlet Trail on Flattop.
Chiefs Head through the North Inlet Valley from Lake Nanita Trail.
Flattop and Ottis (I think), from Lake Nanita Trail.
The impressive southeast face of Ptarmigan Mtn.
Ptarmigan Mtn across Lake Nanita.
Eric trying (unsuccessfully) to get a location on the dead buck.
Andrews Peak.
The basin below Andrews Peak. The buck was supposed to be in here, but Eric got no signal so surmised that the aerial location he had been given was incorrect and was in fact on the other side of the headwall. We weren't going over that.
The tarn at the base of Andrews Glacier.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Week Ending October 2
Mon - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Tues - Off
Weds - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Thurs - 7.5 miles (700') on Bluesky with Eric. Picked it up coming back from Rim Rock.
Fri - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
---------------------------------------------------
January: 440.5 miles (45,850')
February: 304.5 miles (39,200')
March: 469.5 miles (67,100')
April: 427 (62,000')
May: 509.5 (92,500')
June: 323 (54,900')
July: 303.5 (79,700)
August: 297.5 (70,000')
September: 202 miles (37,500')
Total: 3,277 miles (548,850')
Avg: 364 miles (60,983')
---------------------------------------------------
Sat - AM: 9.5 miles (1,550')easy flagging Horsetooth section of Bluesky Marathon.
Total: 33 miles (4,650')
Another down week, which is just fine. I should be nice and rested for Silent Trails next weekend, where I plan to pull off the double upset by handing it to JM and heavy favorite Jason Delaney, who apparently will also be running.
Signed up for North Face San Fran 50 last week and then also finally got my Hardrock appo in the mail. NF50 is sold out, so I am currently on the wait list. Guess I'll make a final decision on that race should I get bumped up to the start list. Either way, it's time to start building some fitness and mileage.
Interesting 85km (50 mile, essentially) race over in the Pyrenees this weekend. The start line was packed with stars, most of them from the Salomon stable: Kilian, Iker, Heras, Symonds, Gates. Only Heras and Gates finished. Wonder if there'll be the same kind of post mortem on this one as there was after UTMB for the US runners? Probably not.
Per Justin, Kilian dropped because of mental fatigue. Been there. The kid is amazing, but I often wonder where his breaking point is. It would be a great shame to see such a prodigious talent driven into the ground at such a young age. I hope he doesn't feel the pressure to continue with his crazy schedule if he needs a break.
Tues - Off
Weds - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Thurs - 7.5 miles (700') on Bluesky with Eric. Picked it up coming back from Rim Rock.
Fri - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
---------------------------------------------------
January: 440.5 miles (45,850')
February: 304.5 miles (39,200')
March: 469.5 miles (67,100')
April: 427 (62,000')
May: 509.5 (92,500')
June: 323 (54,900')
July: 303.5 (79,700)
August: 297.5 (70,000')
September: 202 miles (37,500')
Total: 3,277 miles (548,850')
Avg: 364 miles (60,983')
---------------------------------------------------
Sat - AM: 9.5 miles (1,550')easy flagging Horsetooth section of Bluesky Marathon.
PM: 2.5 miles super easy setting up T&H course with Alistair.
Sunday - Off. Busy morning between two races. Stopped in for the start of the Bluesky Marathon, then presided over a busy T&H 4k (yes, 4k) race, before returning to Bluesky to watch and cheer for the finishers there. Blazing hot day, which for the exposed Bluesky Marathon meant punishment for the runners.
Sunday - Off. Busy morning between two races. Stopped in for the start of the Bluesky Marathon, then presided over a busy T&H 4k (yes, 4k) race, before returning to Bluesky to watch and cheer for the finishers there. Blazing hot day, which for the exposed Bluesky Marathon meant punishment for the runners.
Another down week, which is just fine. I should be nice and rested for Silent Trails next weekend, where I plan to pull off the double upset by handing it to JM and heavy favorite Jason Delaney, who apparently will also be running.
Signed up for North Face San Fran 50 last week and then also finally got my Hardrock appo in the mail. NF50 is sold out, so I am currently on the wait list. Guess I'll make a final decision on that race should I get bumped up to the start list. Either way, it's time to start building some fitness and mileage.
Interesting 85km (50 mile, essentially) race over in the Pyrenees this weekend. The start line was packed with stars, most of them from the Salomon stable: Kilian, Iker, Heras, Symonds, Gates. Only Heras and Gates finished. Wonder if there'll be the same kind of post mortem on this one as there was after UTMB for the US runners? Probably not.
Per Justin, Kilian dropped because of mental fatigue. Been there. The kid is amazing, but I often wonder where his breaking point is. It would be a great shame to see such a prodigious talent driven into the ground at such a young age. I hope he doesn't feel the pressure to continue with his crazy schedule if he needs a break.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Fortnight Ending September 25
Mon - 4.5 miles easy
Tues - 6 miles (500') easy. Valley
Weds - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Thurs - 7.5 miles (700') easy on the Bluesky Trail with Eric
Fri - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Sat - 50 miles (7,000'). Run Rabbit Run.
Sun - 0 miles.
Total: 72.5 miles (9,800').
Mon - 0 miles
Tues - 0 miles
Weds - 0 miles
Thurs - 7 miles (700') easy with Bryan S on Bluesky.
Fri - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Sat - 7.5 miles (1,000') easy with Slush. Soderberg TH - Towers - Stout - Loggers - Mill Creek - Link - Valley - Soderberg TH. Measuring Scott's Runners Without Borders course.
Sun - 17 miles (6,700'). Mummy Traverse.
Total: 36 miles (9,200')
Not much going on really on the running front. Took a bunch of days off after Run Rabbit Run 50, and then didn't do much else other than the Mummy Traverse on Sunday, which while a solid butt kicker, felt really good. Probably keep up with this easy theme for at least another week and then start thinking about the North Face 50 in December, which I'm kind of leaning towards doing.
The downside of all this non-focused jogginess is that JM is probably going to give me a severe ass whooping at the Silent Trails 10 miler in a couple of weekends. He claims to be in great shape right now and reckons his 2:27 bid for the Cal International Marathon is on. If I beat him of course, then it will brought up at every possible opportunity for at least the next year. All the pressure is on Justin then - just the way I like it.
Lots of friends running in the local trail marathon this weekend, with lots of predicted finish times and placings to watch out for. I hope to be able to make it up for the finish, but will have to hot foot it from town after presiding over the Rolland Moore 4k, which will kick off the 2011/12 Tortoise and Hare series. So if you're not running or volunteering at Bluesky, consider coming out to run Rolland Moore.
Tues - 6 miles (500') easy. Valley
Weds - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Thurs - 7.5 miles (700') easy on the Bluesky Trail with Eric
Fri - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Sat - 50 miles (7,000'). Run Rabbit Run.
Sun - 0 miles.
Total: 72.5 miles (9,800').
Mon - 0 miles
Tues - 0 miles
Weds - 0 miles
Thurs - 7 miles (700') easy with Bryan S on Bluesky.
Fri - 4.5 miles (800') easy. Falls loop.
Sat - 7.5 miles (1,000') easy with Slush. Soderberg TH - Towers - Stout - Loggers - Mill Creek - Link - Valley - Soderberg TH. Measuring Scott's Runners Without Borders course.
Sun - 17 miles (6,700'). Mummy Traverse.
Total: 36 miles (9,200')
Not much going on really on the running front. Took a bunch of days off after Run Rabbit Run 50, and then didn't do much else other than the Mummy Traverse on Sunday, which while a solid butt kicker, felt really good. Probably keep up with this easy theme for at least another week and then start thinking about the North Face 50 in December, which I'm kind of leaning towards doing.
The downside of all this non-focused jogginess is that JM is probably going to give me a severe ass whooping at the Silent Trails 10 miler in a couple of weekends. He claims to be in great shape right now and reckons his 2:27 bid for the Cal International Marathon is on. If I beat him of course, then it will brought up at every possible opportunity for at least the next year. All the pressure is on Justin then - just the way I like it.
Lots of friends running in the local trail marathon this weekend, with lots of predicted finish times and placings to watch out for. I hope to be able to make it up for the finish, but will have to hot foot it from town after presiding over the Rolland Moore 4k, which will kick off the 2011/12 Tortoise and Hare series. So if you're not running or volunteering at Bluesky, consider coming out to run Rolland Moore.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Mummy Mania 2011
Chapin, Chiquita, Ypsilon, Fairchild
Chiquita, Ypsilon, Fairchild, Hagues (barely visible), Mummy
The stars aligned today for an awesome morning out in one of my favorite mountain ranges. I consider the Mummies my local high alpine playground and today I had them entirely to myself. For the five hours it took me to traverse the six peaks that when connected make up what has come to be known as Mummy Mania or the Mummy Kill, I saw not one soul.The day began three-quarters of the way up the Old Fall River Road from the Chapin Pass Trailhead at first light, right around 6:30. Two years ago when Chad and I did this route, we managed to run right by Chapin, summiting Chiquita as our first peak, and therefore failing in our mission to establish a fastest time for the route. Today, I was supremely careful to make sure I made the right-hand cut necessary to hit Chapin, the shortest of the day's six peaks at just 12,454 feet.
As with all the Mummy peaks, Chapin has a dramatic cliffed-off southerly face with a more gradual northwestern slope. Chapin's south face drops over 2,500 feet to the Fall River below, and from the top the peak offers immense views of the Longs Peak massif. What Chapin lacks in stature, it makes up for in views. Pretty inspiring stuff with the sun low in the sky and a full morning of peak-bagging ahead.
From Chapin it is a short drop to approximately 12,000 feet along the cliff line between Chapin and Chiquita (13,069'), followed by a stout 1,000 foot hoof up to the Chiquita summit. The route between the two peaks benefits from a faint trail, which makes for reasonably surefooted and fast progress. The rest of the traverse is entirely off trail and littered with rocks - and lots of them.
Ypsilon from Fairchild.
Chaquita to Ypsilon (13,514') is also quite straightforward. A short 400 foot drop to the saddle, again along the southeastern cliff line, and then an 800 foot hoof to the summit. I stopped on top of Ypsilon for a few minutes to get down some calories and admire the awesome ridgelines that surround Spectacle Lakes some 2,000 feet below. And then it was off to Fairchild (13,502'), which for me is the crux of this route.
Ypsilon from en route to Fairchild.
Again, the almost too logical line is to follow the cliff some 700 feet down to the ridge that cuts northeast over to Fairchild. On approaching the ridge, things become a little less obvious, but the route - or the one I take - follows a line at about 12,300 feet on the southern side of the ridge across a large talus field that continues all the way up to the crown of Fairchild. Getting up to Fairchild's benign rounded summit is hard work and a little bit sketchy. The route up is not an obvious one, and really the best course of action is to scramble as best you can up the southern rocks, which is mainly class three terrain, and then follow the ridge up.By the summit, I was beginning to feel the morning's effort, but still had plenty of perk left in me.
Fairchild from below Ypsilon
Fairchild from halfway up Hagues Peak
It's a long rocky descent off Fairchild down to the saddle between it and Hagues, but with pep still in the legs I was running all of the rocky saddle before dropping into hoof mode for the strenuous 1,200 foot ascent of Hagues (13,560'), the high point of Larimer County and one of Rocky Mountain National Park's more impressive peaks. The ridgeline to the summit, viewed from Fairchild is one of my favorite sights of the whole traverse. I mean, what a line.
Hagues Peak
From the summit block, the route off the traverse involves a little more easterly progress on the top of Mummy before a sharp and rocky descent on the southeastern flank of the mountain down to a drainage that leads all the way down to the Black Canyon Trail at 11,000 feet.
The intimidating south face of Mummy Mountain (from Trail Ridge Road)
From there it is a quick right for maybe a half mile before the intersection with the Lawn Lake Trail. A left at Lawn Lake and then it is a touch under six miles downhill to the trailhead and the end of the route. I must have been tired as I tripped and fell twice on the way down, but I got there in one piece in exactly 6:30, a full hour quicker than two years ago even with the addition of an extra summit. A most satisfying morning.
This isn't a hugely traveled route from what I can make out, and when it is, it is not typically done for time. The fastest time I have seen for the route - Peter Bakwin, I believe - is 7:45, so I'll throw that 6:30 out there as a current standard for the trailhead-to-trailhead traverse. With some extra focus, no camera and less lingering on the summits, I'm pretty sure I could take it under 6:00, but that will have to wait for another season.
17 (ish) miles, 6,800 feet of vert and 9,100 feet of descent.
The traffic from Lawn Lake heading up the Old Fall River Road on this beautiful fall day was heavy, so it wasn't long before my thumb procured a lift for the final nine miles back up to the car.
Fall in the Mummies (from the Old Fall River Road).
The route
The route
Splits:
Chapin: 39
Chiquita: 1:03
Ypsilon: 1:34
Fairchild: 2:45
Hagues: 3:57
Mummy: 4:49
Lawn Lake Trail: 5:39
Lawn Lake TH: 6:30
Monday, September 19, 2011
Run Rabbit Run 50
"What was I thinking?"
I must have said those words to myself 50 times on the outbound section of Saturday's Run Rabbit Run 50 miler. Once the heavens opened up, 28 miles into the race, I forgot about my stupidity in signing up and focused on surviving the three-hour torrent of freezing, hypothermia-inducing rain.
More than one person I spoke to after the race feared for their life out there this weekend, but thankfully everyone found their way off the mountain safe and sound, testament to the great race direction of Fred Abramowitz and his army of hardy volunteers. Thanks to each and every one of you for being out there under such horrendous conditions.
But for as ugly as it got, the race started out very innocently. Yes the weather forecast was calling for a 50 percent chance of rain, but the conditions at the pre-dawn start at the base of Mount Werner were just about perfect. I know I was fooled into not taking a jacket - a rookie error that almost came back to bite me 30 miles later.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
From the gun, a lead pack of Zeke Tiernan, James Bonnet and Mark (Horsecow) Lonac pushed the early pace as we began the 3,500 foot ascent of Storm Peak. I opted to let them go and settled in with Bill Fanselow. We chatted a bit about the pace off the front as we watched Horsecow drop James and Zeke, both of whom were beginning to come back to us as we transitioned into the steeper second half of the climb.
I know Horsecow from the Fort Collins road running circuit, and I was pretty sure this was his first 50 miler. Given that he typically runs his 5k races in the high 15s to low 16s, I figured that the early 50-mile pace probably felt a little pedestrian, but 50 miles is a long way to run, so I was fully confident that he was coming back. James, I knew, had run a fast 50 miler in winning Leona Divide earlier in the year, while Zeke, a former all-American at Colorado University, had a couple of strong Leadville podium finishes to his name. And with Bill - a former US mountain running team member - for company and Burch and Corey Hanson in close proximity behind, I could sense that this was going to be a tough race requiring a full-on effort for the win. I was already betting against myself.
After topping out on Storm Peak, 6.5 miles into the race, it was time for the real running to begin. Almost immediately the gear changed from grind to freewheel as we made our way down the short descent on the early stretches of the Mountain View Trail. The overnight rain had left the trail a little soggy, but by and large conditions were decent: tacky in places, sloppy in others.
Within minutes I was passing Horsecow, who later dropped with a hip issue. And then I heard the all-too familiar thuds of Ryan's downhill stride behind. I have raced Ryan so many times over the last few years that I know full well how much he loves to rip the descents, especially early in a race, so I was more than content to let him go by, knowing that I would likely be back on him as the course assumed an upward trajectory. Less than a minute after he was by me, Ryan was around Zeke and into the early race lead. A few shoulder checks confirmed that Bill was still in close proximity behind and that, indeed, I was in for a tough, competitive day of racing on a pair of pins that just wanted to go back to bed.
Nonetheless, I was quicker than Zeke through the aid and assumed the lead for the 1,000 foot pull up to Rabbit Ears, the rock formation that gives the pass into Steamboat Springs its name. Zeke didn't take long to catch up, but for as crappy as I was feeling, I was mildly energized to hear from his breathing how hard he was working. Rather than try to keep pace, I just let him go, figuring that my one gear was either going to be good enough through the latter stages - or not - but I knew that I didn't want a late-race suffer fest induced by mid-race over exertion.
By the time we were back at Dumont, now mile 28, Zeke was a minute - maybe two up on me. Again I was quicker through transition, and again I got the giddyup order from Dana. Leaving the aid, I was no more than 30 seconds behind in second as we began the 16 miles of rolling singletrack back to the top of Storm Peak. Bill, Burch and James had all been within five minutes at the turn, so there was still plenty of pressure from behind.
Race order coming into Dumont at mile 28. Teirnan, Clark, Fanselow, Burch.
Then the heavens opened up and unleashed a torrent of misery. Immediately I was transported 21 days back in time to the miserable first three hours of UTMB. By the time I got to the Base Camp aid station at mile 32 we were completely socked in and subject to a full-on downpour. The trench-like trails filled instantly with water, the temperatures dropped, and just like that concerns for safety became paramount and the race secondary.
Within minutes my fingers were numb and lifeless. I was forced to tuck my water bottle under my arm so I could get both hands into fists under my drenched gloves. Next to go were my feet and toes. Fortunately my legs responded to the situation by finding a new lease on life, which allowed me to up the tempo the notch or two I needed to get the internal furnace burning a little harder. In combination with my hat and arm panties, the new-found gear was just enough to fend off any serious considerations of hypothermia. Now I was merely cold, wet and miserable.
I caught no sightings of Zeke on the five-mile stretch of singletrack between Base Camp and the Long Lake aid station, but heard very faint cheers as he was (presumably) coming in. I got there about five minutes later, so figured that I was set in second for the rest of the race. However, on the last few miles to the final aid station, I could sense from the ever-fresher footprints that I was catching Zeke and catching him quickly. By mile 42 or 43, the prints were looking really fresh and for as hard as the rain was coming down that meant that I was getting close. And then, at the end of the final godforsaken seven-mile stretch of trail between Long Lake and Storm Peak, just as I caught site of the aid station tent through the mist, I heard the cheers for Zeke.
With 6.5 miles and 3,500 foot of descent left to the finish, we were off to the races. This was going to be painful.
Within the first five or six switchbacks I had caught and passed Zeke, and we were moving. There was no need to look back as I could hear the splosh of Zeke's footfalls. He wasn't capitulating, as I had desperately hoped he would. We were now moving at a highly unsustainable pace - easily sub-six minutes per mile - on fried, cold legs.
And then my left shoelace came untied. Bugger! And then my right. Double bugger!
I figured we had four miles to go. Could I race out four miles with untied shoes? If only I was a believer in - and practitioner of - the barefooting movement. I could just toss the shoes aside and run free. I knew I was going to have to stop and re-tie. But dammit, I had no feeling or dexterity in my fingers. Maybe I could call a timeout?
As I fumbled with my laces, Zeke went blasting by. He wasn't interested in a timeout apparently. I took what seemed like forever in getting my shoelaces retied and by the time I was back working with gravity Zeke had disappeared into the mist. I pushed hard for 10 more minutes but never got the visual I wanted. As the base of the ski area came into sight, I slipped it into cruise and reflected on a long, long season of ultra racing.
A well-deserved win and slot at WS100 next summer for Zeke.
It's been a year that I will not soon forget, and Steamboat was a great way to cap it all off. As in all of my races this year, I put forth an effort that I can be proud of. I didn't have a whole lot to work with - clearly fatigued from a long summer and a tough UTMB just three weeks prior - but I did the best with what I had. This year has been an interesting one. I have raced way too much and as a result I have run a lot of races sub-optimally. Some would probably criticize that, but what do I care?
I have fun when I'm at the races and I've been highly fortunate to race in some amazing settings this year. For that, I am indebted to my wonderfully supportive wife, to Pearl for helping me get around the country and across the Atlantic, to all the amazing race directors who work tirelessly to let us romp through the woods and up and down mountains in a controlled and safe manner, and to the thousands of volunteers without whom none of these races would happen. It's time for me to refocus a bit and start repaying some of those debts.
So congratulations to Zeke. From the sounds of it, he'll be claiming his ticket to the Big Dance next June. I think he'll go well there. And congratulations also to everyone who got the job done on Saturday, or indeed to those who had the sense to call it quits when the shivering kicked in. It was a very tough day to be running at 10,000 feet.
The Steamboat 50 is a great race and Fred puts on a really fun event (the post-race beer and pizza party is worth the price of entry alone), but Fred, next time I e-mail you begging for a late entry, please tell me to go take a hike. Or better yet, tell me to come out and volunteer!
Write-up in the local paper.
Splits:
Storm Peak (6.4): 1:07....................Finish (50.6): 7:26:30 (40)
Long Lake (13.4): 2:04 (57)............. Storm Peak (44.2): 6:46 (69)
Base Camp (18.5): 2:45 (41)............. Long Lake (37.2): 5:37 (49)
Dumont (22.3): 3:21 (36).................. Base Camp (32.1): 4:48 (37)
Rabbit Ears (25.3): 3:52 (31) ............ Dumont (28.3): 4:11 (19)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Week Ending September 11
Mon - 7.5 miles (1,800') easy. Horsetooth summit via hiking trail - then Wathan - Spring Creek - Soderberg - home.
Tues - 10 miles (2,000') easy with Mike E. 38e - Bluesky - Towers - Secret Trail - Westridge - Rock - Soderberg - home. Beautiful sunrise.
Weds - 4.5 miles (700') easy. Falls loop.
Thurs - 10.5 miles (1,200') progression. Bluesky out and back via Indian Summer. Early a.m. with Eric B. Out easy and then tempo over last four from Rim Rock back to the TH.
Fri - 4.5 miles (700') easy. Falls loop.
Sat - 10.5 miles (2,000') easy w/Slush, Sarah, Nicole and Alex. Sunrise from top of Arthurs. Valley - Arthurs TH - Arthurs Rock trail to summit - Howard - Mill Creek Link - Valley - Bluesky.
Sun - 12.5 miles (4,500') easy w/Dakota and Ryan to top of McHenrys from Glacier Gorge TH.
Total: 60 miles (12,900')
Nice easy week enjoying some miles with friends.
Got the Hardrock appo in the mail this week, so we'll see if that bears any fruit come December. Got a feeling that it will be a pretty crowded lottery for next year's race, so I'm definitely not banking on getting picked, but with (I think) four tickets in the lottery my chances are decent. If no Hardrock, then it's on to plan B.
Starting to think a bit about winter races, and the marathon once again seems somewhat appealing. Training to run on roads makes me feel like a 'real' runner, not just a long distance mountain jogger, and while I definitely prefer being the latter, I also enjoy feeling fast (all things of course being relative). I figure that if I can go under 2:30, then I'll finally have the marathon distance expunged from my system and can then go about jogging in peace. New Orleans again might be an option in February, but I guess it would be nice to run a race where I'm more likely to have company to work with. Running solo at New Orleans for 21 miles certainly didn't help my cause. That would probably mean having to run one of the bigger spring marathons, so I guess we'll see on that.
Also looking at the North Face 50 in December, but that would require some pretty focused training to get in shape and I'm just not sure I'm ready for all that yet. I figure I've got until October to make a decision about whether or not I want to commit to the training.
Awesome to see so many friends kicking tail in Albania and The Netherlands this last weekend. Andy Henshaw is a road running monster, and wow, Max King World Mountain Running Champion. Love it.
Tues - 10 miles (2,000') easy with Mike E. 38e - Bluesky - Towers - Secret Trail - Westridge - Rock - Soderberg - home. Beautiful sunrise.
Weds - 4.5 miles (700') easy. Falls loop.
Thurs - 10.5 miles (1,200') progression. Bluesky out and back via Indian Summer. Early a.m. with Eric B. Out easy and then tempo over last four from Rim Rock back to the TH.
Fri - 4.5 miles (700') easy. Falls loop.
Sat - 10.5 miles (2,000') easy w/Slush, Sarah, Nicole and Alex. Sunrise from top of Arthurs. Valley - Arthurs TH - Arthurs Rock trail to summit - Howard - Mill Creek Link - Valley - Bluesky.
Sun - 12.5 miles (4,500') easy w/Dakota and Ryan to top of McHenrys from Glacier Gorge TH.
Total: 60 miles (12,900')
Nice easy week enjoying some miles with friends.
Got the Hardrock appo in the mail this week, so we'll see if that bears any fruit come December. Got a feeling that it will be a pretty crowded lottery for next year's race, so I'm definitely not banking on getting picked, but with (I think) four tickets in the lottery my chances are decent. If no Hardrock, then it's on to plan B.
Starting to think a bit about winter races, and the marathon once again seems somewhat appealing. Training to run on roads makes me feel like a 'real' runner, not just a long distance mountain jogger, and while I definitely prefer being the latter, I also enjoy feeling fast (all things of course being relative). I figure that if I can go under 2:30, then I'll finally have the marathon distance expunged from my system and can then go about jogging in peace. New Orleans again might be an option in February, but I guess it would be nice to run a race where I'm more likely to have company to work with. Running solo at New Orleans for 21 miles certainly didn't help my cause. That would probably mean having to run one of the bigger spring marathons, so I guess we'll see on that.
Also looking at the North Face 50 in December, but that would require some pretty focused training to get in shape and I'm just not sure I'm ready for all that yet. I figure I've got until October to make a decision about whether or not I want to commit to the training.
Awesome to see so many friends kicking tail in Albania and The Netherlands this last weekend. Andy Henshaw is a road running monster, and wow, Max King World Mountain Running Champion. Love it.
Monday, September 12, 2011
McHenry's Peak RMNP
Macca from Black Lake
Spearhead
The four peaks form part of the headwall of the iconic Glacier Gorge, a rift that lies at the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park. I am yet to summit all ten peaks that make up the full Glacier Gorge Traverse, but yesterday's jaunt up perhaps the most scenic of them all has me hungry for the full link-up: Flattop, Hallett, Otis, Taylor, Powell, McHenry's, Chief's Head, Pagoda, Longs, and Storm.I've done the first four in a morning, followed by a descent of Andrew's Glacier, but those first four peaks (all walk-ups) are very much the warm-up for the crux sections between Powell and McHenry's, and between Chief's Head and Pagoda.
For the shot up McHerny's, Dakota, Ryan and I had a perfect morning. We were at the Glacier Gorge trailhead (9,200') just after sunup and on our way running by 6:30. We took the shorter climbers' trail up to Mills Lake and hit Black Lake within an hour.
From Black Lake, it is a short 500 foot hoof to the upper section of Glacier Gorge, which sports climbing faces aplenty, jagged ridgelines in abundance, and burly peaks galore. A true alpine gem. The route past Mills Lake (10,000') and Ribbon Falls by way of Glacier Creek ain't too bad either.
Ribbon Falls
Spearhead from Black Lake.
Once above Black Lake, the route hits open tundra with some pretty heavy willow action in and around the drainage. There are routes through the willows by way of game trail and open rock slab, but wrong turns will have you tangled up pretty quick - as I found out coming back.
Stoneman behind Burch and I, with SE Ridge of McHenrys to the right.
Our route took us by way of Stoneman Pass, named after the phallic rock formation that sits at the pass, and then up the south face of McHenry's, which involved about 1,000 feet of class three climbing on pretty solid talus with some class four stuff thrown in depending on route. The views from the summit were, quite simply, astounding. The high points of the Glacier Gorge traverse are nearly all visible from the top, as are the mounds of the mighty Mummies. Two classic and brutal Rocky Mountain traverses in one shot. In fact, just about every peak in the park is visible from the top. Phenomenal.Given the panorama, the three of us spent a fair bit of time at the top picking out peaks and dreaming of future routes. I was under strict orders to be home by 1:00, so we had to forgo the three heads (Chief, Arrow, Spear), but the single summit was reward enough.
Picking out Peaks.
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