The "Big Dance" is only five days away and the pre-race hype has hit a fever pitch! It could be a "fire and ice" year at the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. As has been reported, there's still a lot of snow up in the high country and, as of last night, the forecast for Auburn on Saturday is a balmy 98 degrees. Fire and ice! When I ran WSER last year, there was basically no snow up in the high country and we were able to cross the American River by our own power. Probably not the case this year!
I mostly agree with AJW's picks for the guys and gals, which is to say I like Jim Walmsley as the top male and Kaci Lickteig as the top female. Those two seem to be the consensus picks. As Meghan Hicks from iRunFar correctly pointed out, the only person who can beat Jim Walmsley is...Jim Walmsley. I think, on Saturday, Walmsley takes the lead and never relinquishes it, running at the front the whole time but certainly feeling the pressure from a stacked field behind him. He finishes/wins with a time of about 14:55.
On the women's side, I just think Lickteig operates on another level (similar to Walmsley), though certainly Magdalena Boulet (former Olympian and 2015 Western States champ) and Stephanie Howe (2014 champ) are no slouches and will be ready to pounce if Lickteig falters (which I doubt will happen). Lickteig weighs maybe 100 pounds soaking wet but, like Ann Trason, is a full-on badass.
So there you have it: Walmsley and Lickteig both win. But I am going to say that neither sets the course record for their respective genders.
***
For whatever it's worth, my training is progressing nicely. My right knee is better than 90% (knock on wood) and my left knee is about 80%. My left knee starting barking at me likely because it was compensating for the right knee. But both are on the mend and, fortunately, there's always KT Tape if I need a little extra support. But, overall, the body is holding up very nicely and I'm liking where things are with the Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run now about two months away. I'm getting in some good training and have prioritized legit trails on days that I can get to the foothills and/or mountains.
That said, it is clear to me that, with age, I'm slowing down, especially on the trail. But yet I have never felt stronger. While I have clearly lost a step, the raw endurance is there more than ever. I can go a looooooooooooong way. It would be interesting to run another 24-hour race and see if I could go north of 135 miles. I feel the maturity is there to crank out 135+ over 24 hours. Maybe next year?
Finishing the Leadville Trail Marathon
on Saturday.
Last month, I lined up for the Colfax Marathon, a road race in and around downtown Denver, with a back-of-mind goal of qualifying for the 2018 Boston Marathon. Though I did snag that BQ time, it was by no means easy! With a fair number of hills and the "mile high effect" in full force for all 26.2 miles, this race is no joke. At mile 10, I was feeling it but somehow hung on and came in with a just-okay time of 3:13, good for a BQ but probably just short of the threshold for being able to gain entry into the actual race due to what will surely be high demand. We'll see how it goes. If I don't get into Boston, I will not shed a tear for I'll have a winter of skiing in the Rocky Mountains to look forward to. But it would be nice to go back one of these days.
Then this past weekend I lined up for my sixth Leadville Trail Marathon. This year, due to very heavy late spring snow in the high country, we ran the snow route, which misses Ball Mountain but still takes you up Mosquito Pass, which tops out at 13,185 feet. Given that I had put a decent effort into the Colfax Marathon, my goal for the Leadville Trail Marathon was simply a strong training run up high. And that's what I got from it. Despite absolutely brutal 50+ mile per hour headwinds at the top of Mosquito Pass and some stomach discomfort around mile 22 (nothing ever came of it--just some discomfort), I crossed the finish line feeling good. The snow course throws at you a mind-blowing 12,600 feet of combined elevation change, all between 10,200 feet and 13,185 feet, over the 26.2 miles. I must have run it at a smart, conservative pace because I felt great the next day and feel good again today. No post-race issues at all.
My next event is the Chase the Moon 12-Hour on July 7. Again, the goal is a strong training run. I had originally signed up for CTM with a goal of 50 miles but we'll see how that goes. If I can get in 40 strong miles and walk away feeling good, that's OK, too. But 50 miles would be optimal.
***
Best of luck to all toeing the line at Squaw Valley Ski Resort this weekend. If you have made it this far, you have guts and determination to the max. If you cross that finish line, you will cross it as a champion and will never look at life the same. It's the most magical ultrarunning experience I've ever had.
Now it's your turn: Who ya got for Western States--top male, top female and the podiums for each?
My race schedule for 2017 is firming up quite nicely. Going into 2017, I kind of wanted to run a road marathon and go for a Boston Marathon qualifier time but I didn't know how that might fit into the mix, or if I was willing to put in that kind of training. But over the past few weeks, I have been doing some quality workouts, like track intervals and tempo runs, and I plan to keep it up as it seems to be improving my turnover. I've also gotten in a few 20-milers and plan on another one tomorrow. My weekly mileage is between 60-65 right now...a nice early season base. As this process has unfolded, the road marathon has entered my mind. I do want to go back to Boston.
Top-end speed has always been an asset of mine as a long-distance runner. I can think back to several races where I was in a sprint finish against another surging runner and managed to cross first (my banner photo captures one of those moments). And yet, over the past few years, I have definitely felt it slipping due to aging. And not just top-end speed. I am losing speed all the way around. Use it or lose it. So I am working hard right now to get some speed back.
I still have a long way to go before I consider myself ready for a Boston qualifier effort on the road but things are coming together and I am eyeing the Colfax Marathon on May 21. I would be thrilled to cross the finish line in under 3 hours and 5 minutes.
People say to me often, "a marathon must be easy for you!" My response has always been that if all I had to do was run 26.2 miles at a slow pace, then, yes, it wouldn't be that hard for me or nearly any ultrarunner. But to "race" that distance in pursuit of a goal time...super hard. When you are racing 26.2 miles on the road, every second counts. It hurts and the pressure is on. I kind of like that!
When I was on a nice run in 2008-2009, breaking 3 hours in three consecutive marathons, the effort I put into those races was significant but, being in my mid-30s at the time, I recovered pretty quickly and moved on to the next thing. When I look at 2009, for example, I am shocked by what I was able to do within my own abilities. Now that I'm 43 years-old, I am well-aware that, after a potential BQ attempt at Colfax this spring, I will need some recovery. That's what First Endurance Ultragen is for! But the recovery window will need to be limited because Leadville is on the horizon.......
From Colfax (haven't yet pulled the trigger on it, but it's likely), it's going to be the Leadville Trail Marathon on June 17, the Chase the Moon 12-Hour on July 7-8, and then the big one...the Leadville Trail 100-Mile. I will use the Leadville Trail Marathon as a long training run up high. It will not be a race effort. Same with Chase the Moon, where the goal will be 50 "easy" miles in 12 hours, which I feel is quite doable. I had considered making the Silver Rush 50-Mile Run up in Leadville my 50-mile training effort going into the 100-miler but I feel that Silver Rush might put me in a recovery hole given that it's 50 miles above 10,000 feet in the mountains. Chase the Moon, which is hilly but not mountainous, seems a bit "smarter." When I look back on my running "career," all of my best 100s were preceded by 50-mile runs. So I feel strongly that I need a 50-mile effort and Chase the Moon fit the bill perfectly. Doesn't hurt that it'll be logistically easy to pull off, given that it's just up the highway from me.
Throughout the summer I will be making a point to get up high and train above 10,000 feet and ideally knock off some 14'ers. The name of the game is steep and high. On the list as of now are:
Grays and Torrey's Peaks - did these in 2013 and want to go back, but this time I will start from the lower parking lot right off I-70.
Hope Pass double crossing - required!
Longs Peak - will be logistically challenging to pull off but it's on the list. Backup would be Pikes Peak.
20-30 mile effort on the Colorado Trail starting at Kenosha Pass.
A few new sections of the Colorado Trail, such as the section from Copper Mountain up to Camp Hale.
I feel that if I can get in several efforts above 10,000 feet, where the terrain is steep and nasty, I will be ready for a good crack at sub-24 at Leadville. I have two efforts of 22 hours and change at Leadville and would love to make a run at that kind of time but for 2017 I am gunning for sub-24. I know my stomach will go south, so it's really a question of how I minimize the impact. And I think that more training on steep terrain up high, all within weeks of 80-90 miles, will hopefully better condition my stomach for what will come on race day.
Yesterday I got the absolutely awesome news that I've once again been selected in the Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run lottery. I was super nervous! Many Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run qualifiers have sold out, which meant my list of backups (were I not selected for Leadville) was shrinking.
Even with five finishes going into the Leadville lottery, I just didn't know what my odds were. Were my odds the same as someone with no finishes, or did I have extra tickets or some other consideration that increased my chances? I just didn't know. Lifetime Fitness has the right to run the lottery how they see fit (so long as it's fair, which I'm sure it is), so I am not here to tell them what they should and should not do. But this I will say: Good on them for having a public event where the results were announced.
Actually, I do have one suggestion. Given that so many races quickly sell out these days, I might recommend that Lifetime move the lottery up a month, so it happens maybe right after the Western States drawing.
At any rate, I am so glad I'm in. The work to prepare begins now! I have my eyes on the 1,000-mile buckle, which hopefully will come in 2021. I am committed to it. But that'll be a topic for future posts.....
When I look at my Leadville finishes, I am well aware that my results are getting worse. I am sure aging is a factor, but so is my stomach. While, at this point, there is nothing I can do to stop the aging process or make my sensitive stomach ironclad, I am sure I can improve on things a bit. For starters:
I am going to increase how much time I train at elevations of 10,000 feet and more. This will require some short-term sacrifices, for sure, but it should help get me better-prepared for the Leadville elevations.....
I am going to put a greater emphasis on vertical gain so as to reduce the stress on my body (and stomach) of the big ups and downs that Leadville brings. This will mean a somewhat smaller emphasis on pure volume.
On big outings to the mountains, I will practice raceday nutrition. This one is a no-brainer.
I'm going to have fun. There are some runs that I'm eager to finally do this summer....
I am not so naive to think all of the above, plus a few other things like using Ultragen for recovery and Optygen to boost performance, will result in a race without stomach issues. I will have stomach issues; the key is to minimize their impact as much as possible. But if I do what's listed above, it will help, especially on the Hope Pass section, which has cost me a ton of time in recent years.
So the 2017 schedule is now shaping up nicely. I am in the Leadville 100 (August 19) and also the Leadville Trail Marathon (June 17). I am looking to add in a spring road marathon (maybe Colfax on May 23) and potentially a summer 50-miler, such as Silver Rush. Silver Rush is about 6 weeks prior to the 100, so really good timing.
Congrats to all who got in! It's going to be an awesome 2017!
Saturday marked my fifth Leadville Trail Marathon. It seems like yesterday when, one Saturday in early July 2010, I lined up in front of the Sixth Street Gym full of excitement as I was about to take on my first Leadville race.
The scene on Saturday morning was exciting. The marathon kicks off of the annual Leadville Race Series, which includes the always-competitive Leadman and Leadwoman competition. I can't possibly describe the excitement I felt as I drove into town for the race, knowing I'd not only run an awesome race but also camp out at 10,000 feet above sea level.
One might look at my result on Saturday and mistake it for a "bad race," especially given my time last year of 4:19 (which placed me 12th overall). Here's how the numbers on Saturday shook out:
5:04:51
55th overall out of 434 finishers
6th 40-49 male out of 104
The plan going into Saturday was an 80% effort. That's what my coach and I both determined would be the soundest approach. An 80% effort would allow me to train through the race and also do something productive the next day in Leadville (like run up Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass and back, which I did). At my age, I can't afford to "race" every race; I need to pick my battles. So, this was about a long run at elevation. As my coach often says to me, "keep your eyes on the prize (August)!"
On the week, I got to 80.1 miles and logged almost 12,000 feet of vertical. So, it was a good week and the Leadville Trail Marathon and my Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass adventure the next day helped get me there.
A few thoughts on the race itself. First off, because of the deep snowpack up in the mountains (Ball Mountain reportedly has six feet of snow on it), we ran a modified course.This modified course was harder than the standard route and threw in an extra 800 feet of climbing, to bring the total on the day to about 6,300 feet. My climbing was solid; where I suffered the most (no surprise) was running downhill. I also felt the effects of the altitude at times. There was a nasty climb from mile 20 to mile 21 that got to me a bit more mentally than physically. Still, because this was an 80% effort, I didn't worry too much and instead focused on good practice at elevation. I even helped a few other runners out, giving them Salt Sticks.
My fuel of choice was VFuel gels, water and Coca-Cola. Except for a few swigs of Coke, I was entirely self-supported. Looking back on it, I probably should have had more aid station fare, but I really wanted to test out VFuel. So far, so good.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well I did on the Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass climb and descent the next day. This is a critical section of the return trip during the 100-miler and it can break you (not even joking there; this section can destroy runners). So, it was good for me to hit this section while up in Leadville. I had hoped to summit Mount Elbert but I didn't want to tangle with the snow, so Powerline it was.
In summary, LifeTime Fitness did a nice job with the race. It was well-organized and the modified course was a great fix.
My next race is the North Fork 50K in two weeks. That will be more a race effort.
My ankle is improving by the day, though it's still maybe 60 percent. Last week, I kind of took my foot off the gas pedal but still got in 83 miles, 12.5 hours and 11,000 feet of vertical--not bad. This week, the foot is back on the accelerator as I gun for 100 miles and 17,000 feet of climbing. It's hard to believe that the Leadville 100 is now a little over five weeks away. What's even harder to believe is that this will be my fourth Leadville 100. There's no doubt that I'm in far better shape than I have been in at least four years.
Overall, I feel good. I'm noticing a bit more tiredness but nothing that concerns me. This is what you should expect this late in your training. I have two more weeks, after this one, and then the taper begins in earnest. Interestingly, I have jury duty next week (they must have heard I'm out of work and have the time?). Who knows what that will bring. Knowing my luck, it'll be a murder trial and I'll be sequestered through Leadville.
Anyway, my recent performance at the Leadville Trail Marathon has given me some good confidence. Had I not messed up my ankle with 3 miles to go, I know my time would have been 4:15 or 4:16, but I'll take my 4:19 and be happy with it. The best part of it is that the race didn't seem to take a toll at all on me, except for my ankle. I had zero soreness afterward and I was 100% honest when I said I could have done it again. That's a sign of being in shape. It seems to indicate that I'm in potentially sub-20-hour Leadville shape. For that to happen, I have to kill it on Hope Pass. There are no two ways about that.
***
Training for 2-2.5 hours a day, I sometimes turn to my iPod for entertainment. Though I love to run mountain trails while listening to music (AC/DC, Grateful Dead, Seger, etc.), I often find myself downloading the latest and greatest podcasts, which help keep me abreast of what's happening in the endurance and ultrarunning worlds. While many of you are quite familiar with Endurance Planet (namely "Ask the Ultrarunner" with Lucho), Ultrarunnerpodcast.com, and of course Talk Ultra, you may not know about a new podcast called Elevation Trail. It's produced by Footfeathers (also known as Tim Long), who is entered in this year's Leadman competition.
In a recent Elevation Trail podcast, Footfeathers and his sidekick, sociology professor Gary David, discuss concepts of freedom in trail and ultra running. As we all know, ultrarunning is changing. What used to be an outlaw sport that operated underground and far from "civilization" is now becoming more known, recognized and approachable. Even since my entry into the sport in 2005, there have been many, many huge changes.
One of the things I most like about Elevation Trail is that Footfeathers and Gary dive deeply into issues and sometime meander into other sports, like pro cycling and mountain biking, in order to better understand the topic at hand. Footfeathers' dry humor and experience in endurance sports add a lot to the show. As for Gary, I say this as a compliment: listening to Gary makes me feel like I'm using my brain in ways I haven't used it since graduate school (which is kind of pathetic, when you think about it). Gary is clearly an academic thinker, but he's also an ultrarunner, which makes his thought processes interesting. Gary reminds me of a few grad school professors who I'd hang out with in Hillborough Street saloons, like Mitch's Tavern, drinking pitchers of Bass Ale while discussing history and how the sixties turned everything we thought we knew on its head.
But I digress. In their podcast about freedom and ultrarunning, Gary and Footfeathers take on some big issues. Is the sport's freedom being sacrificed at the alter of corporate sponsorships, rules, explosive growth and other factors? Check it out for yourself. And you can download other Elevation Trail podcasts (for free, of course) on iTunes.
Yesterday's Leadville Trail Marathon proved to be on of my better races in recent years. In my fourth "career" Leadville Marathon, I finished 12th overall out of 517 runners, with a 4:19 (and didn't get "chicked," not that there's anything wrong with that!), and in the process took 20 minutes off my course PR. It was a wonderful feeling crossing the finish line with my wife and our son there cheering for me. Having them there made it all the better.
Down the home stretch and with a sprained right ankle.
Not exactly a photogenic moment. Photo by Shad Mika.
The Leadville Marathon starts in downtown Leadville and is a challenging out-and-back course that takes you through the old mining district and to the top of a rocky 13,185-foot mountain pass. Run mostly on dirt roads and technical trails, with a short pavement section in the beginning and end, the course brings about 6,000 feet of vertical gain. The high point is 13,185-foot Mosquito Pass, where you turn around. The entire course is above 10,200 feet. It's truly high-altitude racing and it's a great trainer for the Leadville 100.
When you've been racing for nearly 10 years and then take 20 minutes off a course PR, that's something worth celebrating. And so I'm really happy--mostly because I feel like I'm in good shape and poised for a good Leadville 100 in six weeks. Not bad for a guy who spent Thursday night in the ER and Friday morning in the doctor's office because I couldn't swallow liquids or food due to a likely case of severe strep throat (strep test came back negative but the doctors I saw still thought I had it). When I toed the line on Saturday morning, I already had a few doses of antibiotic in me, it still hurt to swallow liquid and I'd slept a total of about nine hours over two nights. Ideal. Not.
I got to the top of Mosquito Pass in a fairly speedy 2:19--four minutes faster than last year--and then proceeded to shave 18 minutes off of last year's return trip time. So the real story to this year's race wasn't a fast start; it was a strong finish. I ran sections of the course, notably the inbound mining district roads, that in past years have reduced me to a walk/shuffle. Overtaking runners who'd pasted me earlier in the race, I felt super fit, smooth and in control (thanks to MAF) and had a great time, enjoying the entire experience.
Unfortunately, on the return trip, with three miles to go, I turned my right ankle pretty badly. I was hammering a very technical descent into town and taking some chances and a big, nasty rock got me. After about 30 seconds of assessing the situation, I started running again--only my pace was a lot slower because of the pain and limited strength in my ankle. I decided that I'd go very conservatively over the remaining rocky section, in order to protect my ankle, and then try to pick it up when the road smoothed out. Had the ankle turn not happened, I'm confident I'd have finished in about 4:15 or 4:16.
A few things really stand out:
My ankle notwithstanding, I could have turned around and run the race again after finishing. Seriously. I wasn't sore, fatigued or mentally fried. I felt super fresh after finishing. And that's strange, because last year I was in bad shape after finishing.
By carrying a Camelback backpack and six gels, I was able to sustain myself without really using the aid stations. The longest I spent at an aid station was maybe 10 seconds, and that was when I slammed a few Cokes. I had everything I needed on me and was able to be self-supporting. This was a great "dress rehearsal" for the 100-miler.
I didn't take a single e-cap. I think they're overrated.
My MAF training earlier in the year is clearly paying off. I felt smooth and aerobically efficient yesterday.
My stomach was great, which surprised me because antibiotics can mess up your digestive system. Maybe the Zantac I took before the race helped? I had also eaten a lot of yogurt to load up my system with probiotics.
I am clearly in good shape. I run on average 2-2.5 hours a day and am getting in at least 15,000 feet of vertical gain every week, mostly on rocky terrain and at elevation. Maybe that's why the Leadville elevation didn't even phase me yesterday. It's not that I was fast--because I wasn't that fast. It's that I was strong and steady. I felt like I could run forever. That's what you want in ultras!
I'm lean. My body weight is at about 161 pounds and I'm not carrying much fat at all. That, combined with really good strength, makes for efficient running.
My hiking was stout. I haven't even hiked this summer and yet, when I went into hiking mode on that big climb up Mosquito Pass (ran the first mile of the pass, hiked the second mile and then ran/hiked the last mile), I was cruising.
Mentally and spiritually, I'm in a really good place. I had a great time yesterday and enjoyed the entire experience. There was never a single down moment, except when I turned my ankle, and remained positive the whole way. That's in stark contrast to last year, when I didn't enjoy racing at all.
Although my ankle is fairly swollen and painful, I'm confident it'll be fine. A doctor at the medical tent checked it out and it appears to be in tact. I can stand on it, which is a good sign. I'll be taking a few days off to get my ankle in a better place and then will resume training with a protective brace. In two or three days, when hopefully the swelling is gone, I'll start some ankle strengthening exercises.
Pro-Tec knee wrap to keep my right knee happy and stable
With yesterday's result, I feel like I'm in, or very close to, sub-20-hour shape for the Leadville 100. The keys are to 1) get my ankle in good shape and 2) not get further injured.
Congratulations to everyone who finished the 2013 Leadville Trail Marathon!
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I had another very good week, hitting 90 miles, 16,500 feet of vertical and 15.5 hours of running. That's a pretty killer week, regardless of who you are. The week included a 21.4-mile, 7,000-vertical-foot double crossing of Hope Pass on Tuesday and an 18-mile run with a fast finish at Deer Creek Canyon on Sunday. It was one of those really special weeks when things just clicked. I don't think I've run for 15 hours in a single week in maybe three or four years (save race weeks). At the time of this writing, I've put in over 58,000 feet of climbing and 364 miles in the last 28 days. My weight is also down to about 160 even as I'm eating like a horse. I think this is the lowest weight I'll get, and I'm confident I'll put on just a few pounds during my Leadville 100 taper (perfectly normal and OK).
With the benefit of age and experience, I've learned to listen to my body and respond quickly to every ache and pain. I took it easy on Wednesday, as my body needed a day to come back from the Hope Pass run (even as my mind said, "Hey, let's hit it hard again today!"). So I just ran 6 miles locally. A year ago, I wouldn't have practiced such patience and restraint. So now, when I feel "something," I back off and/or hit it hard with ice. Just ask Anne, who sees me icing this and that every night! I do think getting proper sleep and not sitting for eight hours a day have been critical. I feel like I'm recovering between workouts--something I haven't been able to do for a few years now. In my next job, I'm asking for a standing desk. I think sitting for eight hours wreaks havoc on the muscles and soft tissue.
With the Leadville Trail Marathon only days away, my strategy is to taper my mileage/time on my feet after this Wednesday, and hopefully get rested for Saturday's action. The Leadville Marathon is a very challenging race, topping out at 13,200 feet. Some say it's the hardest marathon in the U.S., but of course here in Colorado we also have the grueling Pikes Peak Marathon. My goal on Saturday is to just feel good and have fun the whole way. Miles 17-23 of the Leadville Marathon course have been tough for me the last few years. My hope is that the aerobic efficiency I've developed through Maffetone Method training earlier this year will pay off, but anything can happen at 10,000+ feet, so we'll see.
As those who follow me on Strava may have noticed, I've been training a lot at Deer Creek Canyon. Deer Creek Canyon is fairly close to where we live, meaning I don't have to spend tons of time in the car going to and from my trail runs. My job search has heated up in a big way and right now I'm going to a lot of interviews. So, my "free" time isn't exactly abundant. Deer Creek is the best option for me most days. On rare days when I don't have an interview, I try to venture to places deeper in the mountains. Decalibron continues to be up there on the to-do list, but even higher on the list is a Fish Hatchery-to-Mayqueen-and-back run (about 20 miles). But, as it is, Deer Creek is a great training ground, delivering some very good climbs, plenty of technical trails and decent elevation (7,500 feet). Plus, it's just a lot of fun! I feel an emotional connection to those trails and the entire area.
As the Leadville 100 steadily approaches, I really am at peace and, most important, I'm having fun. I'm putting in some stout training in beautiful places and I believe when race day comes I'll be able to look back on what I've done and feel good about the effort and dedication I put forth (something I haven't been able to do for the past few years). This is a brutal sport that will destroy you and it tends to reward those who work hard. But not always! Even if you've put in tons of training, you can still find yourself broken down on the side of the trail with 20 miles to go in a 100. Hard training doesn't always equal big success; you have to race the right way and show up healthy, too. My approach to training is to continue to be patient and exercise self-control as I put in my daily work and listen to my body. I also need to start "practicing" with Perpetuem, my fuel of choice for Leadville. To date, I'm really not taking in any calories on my runs except for a Hammer gel here and there. I can run for 3+ hours without a single calorie--which I attribute to my MAF training earlier this year. But in 100-milers you need calories. That's where gels and Perpetuem will come into play.
As Yiannis Kouros says, only through patience and solid training can you truly "conquer endurance."
I just wrapped up one of my better weeks in a long time. For the week of June 2-9, I hit 92 miles, 14 hours and 14,400 feet of vertical. Obviously the mileage, total time and vertical are super solid. Where I think I fell short was in the long run. My longest run of the week came on Sunday, when I ran 19 miles and climbed 4,100 feet in a little over three hours at Deer Creek Canyon. I need to start working in some longer runs of 4-6 hours. I think runs beyond six hours can be problematic in terms of recovery.
It's incredible how far my climbing has come in the past few weeks. Climbs on rocky trails in Colorado are almost never easy, but with practice they become more physically and mentally manageable. Some days you're on, and some days you're in a bad way. For example, on Friday I ventured down to Colorado Springs to run the Barr Trail--the trail that takes you all the way to the summit of Pikes Peak. My plan was to at least get to Barr Camp and then hammer it back to my car, for a total of about 14 miles and 4,000 feet of climbing. Well, I struggled from the start, particularly in the "W's." The W's involve a lot of switchbacks. If you run the W's too aggressively, you'll be cooked in no time and eventually find yourself in oxygen debt. I ran the W's too hard and paid for it mid-way to Barr Camp when I was out of gas. The lesson here is that successful climbing is about patience and experience.
A few days later I seemed to regroup quite well, nailing those 19 miles and 4,100 feet of climbing at Deer Creek Canyon. I ran every step and hit every climb I could find.
There are two major needs with my training over the next seven weeks:
More high-altitude running--preferably above 10,000 feet. Most of my trail runs up until now have been in the 7,000-8,000-foot range--still pretty good but I need to get higher. Next week I may do the Hope Pass double crossing.
Longer runs of 4-6 hours. I've done quite a few runs of 3-4 hours and my daily consistency is awesome, but I need to get out for some really long jaunts. It would be ideal if these really long jaunts were also at high altitude.
In short, my training right now is exactly where I want it to be, which I credit to my commitment to the Maffetone Method earlier this year. I'm getting in super shape and I'm feeling good. My weight is down to a lean 162-163, even as I'm eating quite well. Honestly, there's not much fat on my body right now. I need to keep progressing over the next seven weeks and make sure I don't go stale or get injured. Some planned recovery days/weeks will be critical. I will probably take the week after the Leadville Trail Marathon on June 29 pretty easy and then hit it hard for the last three weeks of July.
***
The job search is what it is. I have a lot of applications out and last week I interviewed with an organization that really interests me on many levels. We'll see how things go. I think searching for a job is just a really long, tedious process that requires a ton of patience and faith.
In the meantime, I've decided to do some contract/freelance writing work, particularly work that involves grant-writing and PR. I've helped raise almost $50 million over my career through grants and proposals. Writing would appear to be a strength of mine. I've also done some cool stuff with PR and media relations. So, I'm creating an LLC and building out a website with the hopes of developing a successful business focusing on grant-writing and PR/communications. If you have writing needs, let me know!
Additionally, I continue to consider starting a coaching business for ultrarunners and those aspiring to get into the sport. For years, people have been e-mailing me with questions about training, races, shoes, diet, etc. Obviously, there are folks out there who think I know what I'm doing (yeah, kind of scary). Plus, with the growth of the sport (almost every hundred-miler is selling out early), I see a big demand for good coaches.
I love helping ultrarunners and I would really enjoy working with athletes on a more formal basis. My running resume is pretty solid, and over the years I've learned a lot through personal successes and failures. I've done a lot of things right, and I've also done a lot of things wrong. That's what you want in a coach--someone who's learned through trial and error and has developed various approaches that can work for athletes of all abilities and experience levels.
Anyway, if I start a coaching business, I would use a very customized, personalized and holistic approach, meaning my athletes would benefit from:
FLEXIBILITY: A flexible training program that aligns with the athlete's lifestyle and helps him/her achieve personal goals. It's critical that a training program take into account how the athlete is feeling and progressing and what other life demands and pressures (family, job, etc.) he/she may be facing. It's equally important for a training program to allow the athlete to have fun with running.
PERSONAL CONTACT: Lots of contact via phone, e-mail and (ideally) in-person meetings/runs. The goal of the check-ins would be to assess and discuss progress, make training program tweaks, address questions and concerns, etc. I do not believe in training programs that are built out way in advance and don't involve regular check-ins, adjustments and listening to the mind, body and spirit. And I'm even more suspect of cookie-cutter programs like those offered in popular running magazines.
MOTIVATION: Tons of motivation and, when necessary, constructive feedback. I love to motivate and inspire runners, mostly because I have a deep passion for running. But I won't be a Pollyanna; I'll expect and demand 100% commitment from my athletes and I will let them know when I think they're not giving it their all. That said, during training there are times when you simply have to take your foot off the gas pedal, like when you have a sudden family or work commitment (e.g., sick child, deadlines at the office, illness, etc.).
HEALTHY EATING: What you eat can profoundly influence your development as a runner. As someone who's lost nearly 60 pounds and kept it all off for over a decade, I can help runners achieve their optimal body weight and eat the right foods.
WORK/LIFE BALANCE: I totally understand what it's like to run high mileage and have big goals while also fulfilling your responsibilities as a full-time employee, spouse, parent and homeowner. Balancing it all, while also getting proper sleep, can be very difficult. I can help runners find the right balance.
I think my focus would be ultrarunners and creating programs that help them successfully train for and complete races from 50K-24 hours. I've never really nailed the marathon so I wouldn't be too comfortable helping athletes run a fast PR at the 26.2-mile distance, though I could certainly help athletes finish their first marathon or maybe even qualify for Boston. I think my expertise is mostly with ultra distances, especially hundred-milers.
It's just a question of whether anyone would even hire me! If you're interested, e-mail me.
***
A final note. As previously stated, the Maffetone Method has transformed the way I train. You can learn more about MAF at Dr. Maffetone's website, but I also encourage you to check out this podcast interview Dr. Maffetone did with Endurance Planet (note: it's available for free on iTunes). It's incredibly educational, helpful and engaging. Highly, highly recommended.
Another very solid week (Apr. 15-21) is in the books. I finished off a 77.25-mile week with a 21-miler on the Highlands Ranch backcountry trails. I climbed a decent 1,800 feet on that run--not bad at this point in my Leadville 100 training. I ran every day this past week, but never felt like I was pushing the envelope much. I could have easily fit in another 10 miles and still felt good.
I feel like I'm in decent, but not super, shape going into the Cheyenne Mountain 50K this Saturday. My endurance is good, but my speed and strength are a bit off (I've been doing MAF training for a few months now). This time last year I felt in very good shape, and of course we know how the summer ended (with a bum knee, messed up Achilles and nasty Leadville DNF). My big concern this summer is not peaking too early, as I did last summer, because that'll mean I go stale by Leadville and then risk injury. So, to me, it's good that I'm not yet firing on all cylinders. The gradual build-up, with proactive recovery sprinkled in, continues. By July I'll be hitting triple-digit weeks with some big, big outings in the mountains. Now's not the time for that.
One of the big tricks with peaking is that there's a fine line between being in peak shape and being overtrained. It's an art, not a science, and I'm still figuring out the right plan for me. Only once have I been in truly peak shape, and that was June 2009.
Taking the long view, I think my approach at this Saturday's 50K will be to run conservatively (probably at MAF pace) for the first 15.5-mile lap of the Cheyenne course and then get after it a bit in the second half. Last year I went hard out of the gate and faded a little in the end, still finishing fifth overall. The Cheyenne course is challenging but not super hard. It has some technical sections and the second part of the figure-eight loop can beat you up, especially in the last half of the race. The overall key is to remember that this race is part of a process as I prepare for the Leadville 100. For me, nothing but Leadville matters. I haven't been this focused or motivated in a long time.
In other news, I registered for the Leadville Trail Marathon in late June. This will be my fourth Leadville Marathon. Like all Leadville races, it's a very tough course, reaching 13,185 feet at the turnaround point. I think the Leadville Marathon is a very underrated race. It will destroy you if you don't know what's coming.
To start things off, I think I’ll focus some (wasted) energy
on a certain online message board that claims to be about running. In reality, this message board, which I won't dignify by using its name, seems
to attract a lot of (anonymous) haters who dislike ultrarunners. I rarely visit the message board, mostly because its
vitriolic rhetoric is a waste of my time. Occasionally I take a peak at the
carnage, like when Paul Ryan, shortly after joining the Romney ticket, was
exposed for lying about his marathon time. Afterward, I usually feel like I need to take a shower.
Anyway, I don’t understand why
people, cloaked in anonymity, enjoy being jerks while they hide behind their “computers.” Many of us
have had a few bad moments online, but there are a huge number of people out
there who use said message board to bash and ridicule others--a certain high-profile Spanish ultrarunner, who seems like an awfully nice kid and has lungs the size of beach balls, is the latest victim. Frankly, I
find such behavior disgusting and really just the sad, pathetic result of mostly insecure people who are miserable with their own lives and seek to pick on others. It would be great if the online anonymous hating,
like what we often see on said message board, just disappeared in the name of people
being nice to each other. This message board is, as one friend recently said, a "toilet." I don't know about you, but I'd prefer not to hang out in a toilet.
The larger point I’m trying to make is that our world is
filled with too much negative energy. From websites like said message board, cable
news and talk radio shows to the local headlines and mean-spirited gossip (which many of us
find ourselves engaging in now and then—I caught myself doing so on Sunday),
negative chatter seems to be the new American way. Anne and I have been
debating turning off our cable service, but then I would miss the Tour de
France in July. I am very glad I have the opportunity to get away from the
noise and spend time alone and outdoors, doing what I love, which is running.
And, of late, we can add skiing to my list of loves.
On Saturday, we ventured up to the mountains to get in some
skiing. This was my first time skiing in many years. I’d been avoiding the
slopes all year because I’ve never been good at it and didn’t want to risk
injury. Truthfully, the last time I skied was maybe 1996 (at either Seven
Springs Resort in Pennsylvania or a remote mountain town in Bulgaria while an exchange student—seriously), when I was
starting to get fat, out of shape and happy on cigarettes. I did snow board a few years ago, but
that doesn’t count.
So on Saturday, I swallowed my pride and took a beginner
ski class, quickly discovering that maybe years of trail running have helped me
develop the balance, strength and overall athletic prowess to ski decently. Within a few hours, I broke
off from the beginner group and hit a few slopes, gradually upping the ante with every descent. While I still have a long way
to go in achieving speed and nimbleness, I couldn’t have been more pleased with
how things went on Saturday. There are few things more fun that skiing down a
12,000- or 13,000-foot mountain, especially when it’s with your wife. The whole experience kind of lifted me, literally and figuratively speaking, out of the reality of everyday life. I can’t wait until
the little guy, who is still learning the fundamentals, is able to hit the big slopes with his mom and dad. I have every
intention of being the kind of dad who is still able to kick some butt when I’m
50, 55 and maybe even 60, versus a dad who’s broken down and can barely get out of the recliner.
The bottom line is this: I believe I have a chance at being a good skier and I credit ultrarunning. Saturday's experience in the mountains just reaffirmed my long-held belief that trail ultrarunning, especially when it involves huge rocky descents, narrow ridge lines and other dangers, requires some real athletic skills--skills you won't develop on the road. And I say that with nothing but love for the road. I enjoy road running, but at the end of the day trail running is the best.
So add me to the huge list of Coloradans who love skiing. I
see it as a great way to truly enjoy the mountains in the winter and early
spring, bond with your loved ones and get in some really solid cross training.
***
My base-building for the Leadville 100 continues to go well.
I just wrapped up my sixth consecutive week of 70+ miles. My emphasis right now is on doing lots of runs but no single runs that will break me down (the longest I'll go right now is 14-17 miles). I'm now going to start stretching my long run, though. My aerobic efficiency
has definitely improved, though I’m noticing some allergies, which can
sometimes reduce my breathing capacity. I'm not taking in any calories on my runs--with MAF, the emphasis is on fat-burning. I’m planning to stick with the
Maffetone Method through April, including the Cheyenne Mountain 50K at the end
of the month, and then begin working in some quality in May. The key for me is
to get a huge aerobic base, and big mileage, established and then gradually
introduce quality. I don’t want to get in shape too soon and then go stale. I’m
really pumped about getting to the trails and working in some big climbs.
At this point, I’m leaning toward adding the Leadville Trail
Marathon in late June to my schedule. This would mark my fourth straight LT
Marathon. For those who have never done this event, it’s seriously hard. You
crest 13,185-foot Mosquito Pass at the halfway point and then turn around and
run back to town, which is situated at 10,000 feet. The good news is that the
last 3-4 miles are basically all downhill (on rocky trail). But you won’t find
many marathons that are going to kick your butt harder than the one in
Leadville at the end of June. It will make you cry for your momma.
It's good to bring your A game to the Leadville Marathon, especially Mosquito Pass:
First of all, how lucky am I to live in such a beautiful place? Sometimes I can't believe I'm so lucky to live within a two-hour drive of the high-altitude racing capital of the world (Leadville, of course)!
I finished with a 4:40 and 21st overall, out of 509 finishers, at yesterday's Leadville Trail Marathon. 6,000+ feet of vertical gain, all between 10,200-13,185 feet. From the start, my legs weren't feeling it. Despite a slight taper going into the race, my legs felt tired and sluggish. But because this is Leadville, where you have to dig deep when things get tough, I decided to battle through the leg fatigue and get 'er done. I left myself no choice.
The start of the 2012 Leadville Trail Marathon. Photo by the Leadville Race Series.
What I didn't see coming were some stomach issues mid-way through the race. Again, I dug deep and got 'er done.
My best guess is that I wasn't yet over the virus/bug I dealt with for the better part of the week (this virus has now affected others in the Hornsby house). The bug involved not only GI issues, but also reduced appetite. I just didn't want to eat all week--not a good thing going into a big race. Basically, I felt like crap all week.
Leadville Marathon course profile.
Remarkably, I ran pretty much the same time as last year (4:40 in 2012, 4:39 in 2011). I got to the top of 13,185-foot Mosquito Pass in 2:23 (2:24 last year), having fought hard on the long and rocky climb. When I started the climb, I was running about 14th. The pass was littered with half-marathoners (they take a short-cut to the hardest section of the course). I passed, I'd say, well over 100 half-marathoners, many of whom were in death-march mode, and one marathoner. The fast-walking in my training is paying off, because I was strong on the Mosquito Pass climb despite the tricky footing.
Finally, at the top of Mosquito, I took a Hammer Gel (I fueled with Hammer Gels and water for the entire race), downed some fluids and got going! When I started the tough, rocky descent, I was in 13th place, but still not feeling 100%. I just didn't know what I'd have in the tank for the return trip, but I tried not to fixate on what lay ahead.
I hit a low point between miles 18-22, a mentally difficult stretch that involves a bunch of gentle climbs at about 12,000 feet of elevation. Basically, my legs were shot and my stomach was complaining. I'm in pretty good shape, so I figured my problems were more about the virus I'd battled and not about conditioning. A few runners passed me while I shuffled about, trying to regroup and stay positive despite the fact that I'd run out of water (which meant I couldn't take any gels for the time being) and was starting to feel dehydrated. I'm sure the altitude didn't do me any favors, either, in my compromised state.
On the rocky, ~2,000-foot descent into town (which, of course, you have to climb on the outbound), I started to feel slightly better after rehydrating and taking a Hammer Gel, though my legs were still uncooperative. I descended with confidence and felt more and more positive as I knew the finish was getting closer. Finally, on the road into town I starting moving well, running at about 7:15 pace (again, this is at 10,200 feet) with the finish line in sight.
About 200 feet before the finish, a runner came out of nowhere and passed me. I wasn't about to allow that to happen, so I hit the jets and blew past him into the finish line, beating him by one second. I felt like Mark Cavendish, the famous cycling sprinter who has the ability to accelerate like a jet into the finish line. Lots of people complimented me on my strong final kick, which made me feel good. I may not be a beast in the mountains, but I still have good closing speed and will fight to the death if someone's trying to chase me down late in a race. Here's a photo sequence of how it happened:
He's surging past me! All photos in this sequence by Rob Timko.
I'm about to hit the jets. The finish line is less than 100 feet away!
A la Mark Cavendish, I overtake my challenger.
And I break the tape!
After the race I hung out at the finish for over an hour, enjoying the good company of friends like Matt C., Lucho (who finish second overall and is going to shatter the Leadman record), Rob T., Jeremy B., Leila D., Jason R., and others. I didn't get a chance to see Scott W., who had a strong result. Had I known Tim Deboom, the two-time Ironman Kona champion who finished third with a 4:02, or Susan Williams, who medaled in the Olympic triathlon in 2004 and finished with a 4:57, were there on Saturday, I'd surely have introduced myself.
I felt horrendous and just drank as much as I could. A few hours later, in Georgetown on the way home, I had a Subway flatbread sandwich and it actually tasted good despite the fact that I hate fast food.
All in all, I'm pleased with my result. I'm confident that, had I been 100%, I would have run at least 5 minutes and maybe 10 minutes faster. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think this race is the hardest marathon in the U.S. It beats the hell out of you from start to finish, and the technical descents (and climbs) only add to the challenge. It is very hard to get decent footing on Mosquito Pass and on the climb out of and back into town. All that said, it's incredible how much the Leadville Trail Marathon has changed over the past three years. It now has the look and feel of a big-time mountain event (but could definitely use some improvement in the way of finish-line food).
I have five more weeks of training before starting my Leadville 100 taper. I have some key runs on my schedule, including a Hope Pass double crossing on July 30 and a Fish Hatchery-to-finish night run on August 4. In late July I'm also spending three nights in Keystone for business--good altitude exposure. It's hard to believe, but the big race is right around the corner!
A lot has happened since I posted this race report after last year's Leadville Trail Marathon. In the past year, I've fought and (hopefully) overcome a devastating foot injury. My confidence has been shattered as my results have gotten worse and worse. At one point, right after the Jemez Mountain 50-Mile in May, my attitude was so bad that I threw around the idea of giving up on ultramarathoning altogether...and just becoming a fitness runner.
But I never gave up.
On Saturday, at the Leadville Trail Marathon, I went into the race saying to myself, "It's just a marathon! No pressure. Have fun and get 'er done" (and going into the Leadville 100, I'm going to tell myself the very same thing: "It's just a 100 miles. No pressure. Have fun and get 'er done!" In 100s, being a headcase equals DNF.)
Well, I believe I experienced something of a personal breakthrough, finishing 13th overall with a 4:39:29 out of 350 finishers (results here). For me, this is a personal breakthrough on at least two levels. First, on numbers alone, my 2011 LT Marathon time was far better than last year's result (13th this year, 28th last year; 4:39 this year, 4:55 last year). All along, I've just wanted to see improvement and got that on Saturday. Second, I just felt better physically and mentally. Going up 13,185-foot Mosquito Pass, I felt confident. I got to the top of Mosquito, which is the half-way point, 10 minutes faster (2:24 first-half split) than last year. Last year, this climb was a death march for me.
Then on the long, rocky, treacherous descent down Mosquito, my personal anthem (WARNING: EXPLICIT LYRICS!) came on, and I started feeling really in the moment. I was very pleased with how I descended Mosquito. My mood was positive and I felt into this race.
Still, I knew I'd probably experience a tough stretch somewhere, and it turns out my bad patch would be around miles 21-22, which are around 12,000 feet and come after a series of nasty climbs. I was suffering from the heat (it was around 70 degrees and super-sunny by then) and really feeling the elevation. This entire race is between 10,200 feet and 13,185 feet, so you're really up there. At around mile 21.5, a guy passed me as I struggled with dizziness, faintness and mild dehydration. The last aid station was just up the hill, so I wasn't too worried. Once there, I rehydrated with water and Coke and then started the long descent into town on a trail that could be described as quite rocky. My legs weren't too responsive on the descent, but they were nonetheless moving. Another guy passed me here!
I wasn't too hard on myself as I got passed again because I knew this was still going to be a Leadville Marathon PR by at least 10 minutes, and I also knew the elevation had gotten to me a bit. I'll admit, too, that I might have gone out a bit fast, as well, and was now paying for it (but not too badly). Plus, just six days earlier I'd wrapped up a 95-mile week, so it's not like I was super fresh here.
By the time I hit 6th Street with the finish in sight, I was running 7:00 pace and feeling pretty good. I was closing the gap between me and the three guys in front of me. I think if we had a few more miles in this race, I might have been able to close the gap entirely.
I felt very positive when I crossed in 4:39, besting my time last year by 16 minutes. I didn't know my exact standing, but I figured I was top 15.
I'm really pleased with my Leadville Marathon result. This is a race for fast guys and gals and, for me, coming off a 95-mile week and a very light taper, to have finished 13th feels very good. I'm a guy training for 100 miles in the mountains--steady and strong. I'm not training for a fast 26.2 miles in the mountains, so to have cracked the top 15 at the LT Marathon is a confidence-booster.
Stats for this race:
5,470 feet of climb
5,470 feet of descent
Just shy of 11,000 feet of total elevation change
All between 10,200 feet and 13,185 feet
In the first 6 miles alone, you climb over 2,100 feet! Then you drop the same around in the last 6 miles!
I have said it before and I still believe it: This race is harder than Pikes Peak for a few reasons:
At Pikes, you climb the first half, gaining a whopping 7,000+ feet--very hard indeed!
But at Pikes, once you're at the top (having suffered terribly the last 2,000 vertical feet), you can cruise back down with basically no ascents in your way. Not so at the Leadville Marathon! The Leadville course beats the tar out of you both ways!
At Pikes, the base elevation is just shy of 7,000 feet and the max is 14,115 feet. At Leadville, you're running between 10,200-13,185 the whole time.
I'd be interested to hear what some Pikes veterans think. Maybe I'm dead-wrong on this assertion.
With the Leadville 100 now 7 weeks away, and four more big weeks of training before taper time, I think it's critical that I try to set things up so I'm peaking on race-day. I'm definitely in better shape now than I was a month ago. The emphasis I'm placing on getting to the mountains and trails 2-3 times a week is paying off. I feel stronger on the climbs and am progressively feeling more confident on the descents.
The plan this week is not to force myself back into high mileage after the marathon and just see what I can do. If I can get in 90 miles, great. If my body needs rest, that's OK, too. I'm just going to let it all come to me. The only thing I can say for certain is that I'm planning to get to the mountains/trails three times this week. I sure wish I could go down to Hardrock this weekend to pace someone, but family commitments won't allow it. Definitely next year!
Get 'er done!
First off, congratulations to Kilian Jornet on his impressive win at the Western States 100 this past weekend. Kilian hails from Spain and is an incredibly talented, hard-working mountain runner. I don't think he quite has the raw speed of another freakishly talented mountain runner, Matt Carpenter (or does he?), but it'll be interesting to see what Kilian does in the coming years on the mountain running circuit. His resume already includes wins at both Western States and Mont Blanc, as well as a number of records, so it's not like he has anything else to prove! But I do wonder if Kilian could give Matt's Leadville 100 record a run for its money. And what about Kyle Skaggs' seemingly immortal 2008 Hardrock 100 record (only person to ever break 24 hours on that course)?
Check out the video below of Andy Jones-Wilkins before Western States. Notice how relaxed Andy is (he's holding a beer!). That's saying a lot because Andy seems to really live for finishing top 10 at Western--which he pretty much does every year.
Seeing Andy in this interview, and then considering how he did at Western States (9th overall with a 16:39--a new PR for him), really makes me better-understand the importance of being relaxed and loose before a huge race. I think Nick Clark, who finished 3rd overall only a few minutes behind Kilian, really looked loose in his pre-race interview, too. I watched all the other interviews and it's no surprise that the looser you seemed to be, the better you did. A few folks looked really tight and tense. For me, the takeaway is this: Stay loose and relaxed! When we arrive in Leadville a few days before the big race, I think I'll kill a few beers and just relax, laugh and enjoy the beauty of it all!
Major props to the folks at IRunFar.com for doing such an awesome job of covering Western States!
By the way, my plan for 2012 is absolutely to enter the Western States 100 lottery. If I get in, I'll be at Squaw Valley this time next year! The deadline for entering the lottery is this October, and, yes, I know my odds aren't good. I'll keep applying until I get in.
***
My training for the Leadville 100 is on track and I'm really happy with my fitness and how I'm feeling overall. I'm noticing a bit more climbing power in my legs--just a gradual change at this point. For the week ending June 26, I covered 95 miles and ran for 13 hours and 11 minutes with some sweet quality mixed in.
Monday, 6/20 - Easy
AM: 7.1 miles easy on the trails around my house.
Tuesday, 6/21 - Hills
AM: Hill repeats; 10.01 miles in Parker.
PM: 3.25 miles on the treadmill.
Total miles for day: 13.26
Wednesday, 6/22 - Easy
AM: 7 miles easy on the trails around my house. Had an early morning meeting so this was all I could do.
PM: 3 miles easy on the treadmill.
Total miles for day: 10
Thursday, 6/23 - Tempo / mountains
AM: Tempo run. 9.5 miles total, 5 miles at tempo pace (about 6:20). Legs a little tired.
PM: 7 miles at Mount Falcon. 1797 feet of ascent, 1624 feet of descent (took a different way back to my car). Ran up to Walker's Dream and then back down. Legs quite tired on the descent.
Total miles for day: 16.5
Friday, 6/24 - Easy
AM: 8.35 miles easy in the Parker hills. Legs super tired from Thursday's hard workouts so I decided this was it for the day.
Saturday, 6/25 - Long
AM: 15.5 miles easy in the Parker hills. Legs much better.
PM: 3 miles easy on the treadmills.
Total miles for day: 18.5
Sunday, 6/26 - Long / mountains
AM: 17.65 miles and 3 hours flat at Mount Falcon. Gained 3333 feet and dropped 3312 feet. Got up to 7900 feet. Ran from my car to Walker's Dream, gaining 1900 feet over 5 miles, without walking a step--major progress. Then went on to the Mount Falcon summit. Felt very good the whole way but started to feel the heat in the last hour.
PM: 3.35 miles easy on the treadmill.
Total miles for day: 21
Totals for week:
Total miles for the week: 94.71 miles
Total time running: 13 hours, 11 minutes
Total vertical: 9,000 feet
Total runs: 12 (7.89 miles per run--perfect!)
Yoga stretches and core strengthening
Total miles for the year: 1,746.11
***
This Saturday, July 2 is the Leadville Trail Marathon. I'd be lying if I didn't say I want to do well. Last year I finished with a 4:55 and 28th overall and even managed to take a wrong turn and add about a half-mile onto my race. This year I'd like to run a 4:30 or better. I've been training pretty hard and will not have really tapered (just a mini-taper), so we'll see if my legs are ready for a 4:30 at Leadville this Saturday. The course is basically all between 10,000-13,200 feet, turning around at the top of Mosquito Pass. With the possible exception of the Pikes Peak Marathon, there probably isn't a harder trail marathon out there. It's a doozey, and I've heard the snow is really starting to clear in Leadville so I would imagine the trail conditions will be good.
With Saturday's trail marathon on the radar, my goal this week is 70-75 miles. I'm going to cut the mileage going into Saturday and then run fairly aggressively in the race. Whatever Sunday brings is OK with me. Last year I felt pretty good the next day.
***
I bought some Hoka One One Bondi B running shoes. I'll be doing a full review in a few weeks, after I've had some time to really assess the shoes. For now, here are some initial impressions:
Flexibility: Decent
Weight: Very good (even though they "look" clunky)
Cushioning: Excellent--probably the softest shoes I've ever worn
Stability: Very good
Sizing: Not great at all. They seem to run small and only after a few runs did I realize that my left shoe is smaller than the right. Not good! And it's too late to return them!
Price: Horrible--$170! Kids are starving to death in Africa and I dropped almost two bills on a pair of freaking shoes.
If you have $170 to spend and need a soft ride for your aging body, get yourself some Bondi B's and see for yourself how plush and light these bad boys are. But, if you do, consider upsizing. The Bondis, from what I've been told, handle very well on the trail. If I really like them, I'll upsize a bit and have them on my feet for the Leadville 100.
***
I always like to assess where things are at the year's midpoint. When I consider where I was at the beginning of the year (barely able to run due to a serious case of plantar fasciitis) and where I am now (clicking off 95 miles a week), I feel really good. I'm not very happy with my race results so far this year, but at least I'm running and enjoying my surroundings. Yes, my perspective has changed. My life is too busy and my work schedule too demanding to view running as anything but a joy. My biggest struggle right now is not letting training get too in the way of family time. Sometimes on my long runs, like Sunday's run at Mount Falcon, I start to really miss Noah and Anne. The important thing, I think, is to just enjoy it all, stay loose and not take running too seriously. As the saying goes, "Running is way too important to take too seriously." Or something like that.
Writer's note: This post has been in the works for a while and I've finally completed it! Updated: 7.20.2011
So, you're drawn to Leadville and that big silver and gold belt buckle? Let me tell you about my own experience with "The Race Across the Sky" and share a few observations. Maybe that'll help you decide whether or not to take on the big, bad Colorado Rocky Mountains and one of the nation and world's most famous 100-mile foot races.
My El Plato Grande buckle. Note the quarter, which gives you a good idea of how big the buckle is.
***
Leadville. It captures the imagination. It captured mine. It still does. In times like these, people are looking for fulfillment and meaning. They feel pulled to a place like Leadville. Only Leadville is more than a place. It's a state of mind. It's an experience. It changes you. Forever.
Not that long ago, the very idea of completing the Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run was but a crazy dream because at the time I lived at sea level--Cleveland, Ohio to be exact. Cleveland has some challenging hills and some amazing trails (along with a wonderfully vibrant running community that makes Northeast Ohio a hotbed of ultrarunning), but what it doesn't have are huge, rocky mountains and thin air. The city of Leadville, as many know, is situated at 10,200 feet deep in the Colorado Rockies and is the highest incorporated city in North America. The 100-mile foot race is run entirely between elevations of 9,200 feet and 12,600 feet. That's more than 2 miles in the sky, hence its well-known "Race Across the Sky" nickname. Incidentally, the Leadville Trail Marathon tops out at nearly 13,200 feet and is, quite simply, a vicious slap across one's face, but nonetheless a great experiece in and of itself as it's run on old mining roads.
When we decided to move to Colorado in 2009, races like the Leadville 100 and Hard Rock 100, along with dreams of life out West and experiencing the outdoors with my wife, Anne, and our son, Noah, were big motivators. I instantly set my sights on Leadville and, in the longer term, Hard Rock, which is even more difficult. Only a few weeks after arriving in Colorado in early April of 2010, I made the plunge and registered for both the 2010 Leadville Trail Marathon and Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run. As chronicled on here, I completed both (4:55 in the Leadville Marathon and 24:47 in the Leadville 100), but not without suffering through miles and miles of thin air trekking up some nasty climbs (also click here for my 2011 Leadville Marathon report). For as long as I live, I will never forget the death marches up 13,185-foot Mosquito Pass (the turnaround point for the Leadville Marathon) and up the backside of 12,600-foot Hope Pass, more than 50 miles into the 100. I'd be remiss in not also mentioning the difficulty of the Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass climb more than 80 miles into the 100.
For this lifelong flatlander turned Coloradan, these struggles weren't about a lack of leg strength or endurance (I have plenty of both); they were about oxygen debt. When you go into oxygen debt, you go into slow motion. You might eventually come down with altitude sickness.
Ultrarunning is by its very nature a noble sport. It requires extraordinary strength of character, a well-trained mind and body, and plenty of determination. It's an up-before-dawn, day-in-and-day-out, blood-sweat-and-tears, rain-sleet-and-snow endeavor. Most ultrarunners I know are very humble, salt-of-the-earth people who would give the shirt off their back to help another. I can't decide if ultrarunning brings out these qualities, or if ultrarunning attracts people with these qualifies. My guess is some of both. At any rate, Leadville is a tangible manifestation of these qualities. In order to complete (note that I'm using "complete," not "attempt") a race like Leadville, you have to be humble and have character, yes, but you also need a little mojo and, deep down, you need confidence. You have to believe in yourself and--I would argue--a higher power far greater than your own abilities. And, you have to believe in the motto of the race:
You are better than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can.
Just about anyone who's experienced and finished Leadville knows those words aren't a platitude; they mean something. Because when the chips are down and you're climbing Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass in the middle of the night--with more than 80 grueling miles on your severely trashed legs--you have to dig deep and believe that, yes, you can do it. In the spirit of the hard rock miners, if you dig deep enough, you will find silver and gold--in the form of a finisher's belt buckle. But you'll find far more. Leadville takes you close to the edge (I would guess races like Badwater and Hard Rock take you even further to the edge) and deep into your own soul--places you've probably never been.
It is hard to describe what it was like, and how hard it was, to complete high-altitude races of 26.2 miles and 100 miles, respectively, when for the first 37 years of my life I breathed thick, voluminous sea level air. When you're running or, as often is the case, hiking at 12,000 or 13,000 feet, the very act of eating (if you even feel the urge to eat) is hard work. (LT100 record-holder Matt Carpenter reportedly dissolved PowerBars in water for his raceday fuel.) Your legs are heavy.as.lead. You can't really catch your breath. You feel deflated. Your head may be pounding or, at best, you're dizzy. You're in slow motion. And all the while you're above treeline, where the weather can change in an instant. You're shuffling along a rocky, technical trail that requires your full attention. On my first summit of Pikes Peak back in June, I quickly realized when I was post-holing through 3-foot-deep snow at more than 13,000 feet--and fighting acute exhaustion--that I wasn't in Ohio anymore. The following photo from my Pikes Peak adventure in June (I've since summitted Pikes for a second time) illustrates the point. Yes, those are clouds far below.
It took several months to really acclimate to life at more than a mile in the sky (our home is in Parker, Colorado, which is at 6,100 feet and about two hours from Leadville). I've nearly had to learn to run again; the stress high-altitude running places on your mind and body is enormous compared to that of sea level running. My Leadville 100 training landed me with a devastating foot injury for which I'm still being treated--an injury that stemmed from the ungodly strain of high-altitude training combined with blissful ignorance. I'm hopeful that in 2011, with a year of living at elevation under my belt (and hopefully a healthy foot), I'll see big improvement in both my Leadville Marathon and Leadville 100 times. I don't mind saying that I never could have finished the Leadville 100 had I not had a supportive wife, an inspirational son, an amazing crew consisting of my brother and mom, and inspiring pacers...along with the intangible experience of finishing four races of 100+ miles. Yes, I dug deep.
One of those races was a win at the Mohican Trail 100-Mile Run in 2009. Yeah, on the heels of the Mohican win, I thought I was kind of a badass. And then we moved to Colorado and I ventured to Leadville, where I was humbled and got my ass handed to me not once but twice--the marathon in July and the 100-miler seven weeks later. In the 100, 700+ runners started. Half finished. And of the finishers, only 99 of us earned the big-ass sub-25-hour buckle. About five miles out, I passed a dude who had been trying for five years to get the sub-25 buckle...and valiantly came up short every time. I worked for 24 hours and 47 minutes for that buckle, coming back from the dead at the Mayqueen aid station (mile 86.5), where I was laid up for more than 40 minutes with altitude sickness.
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For me, the allure of Leadville isn't just the mountains; it's also the city itself. Leadville has a truly extraordinary "boom and bust" history. At one time, Leadville was among the wealthiest cities in Colorado--a bustling mining town and silver mecca two miles in the sky. It's where fortunes were made and lost. And it's certainly a town with its fair share of colorful characters. Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp hung out there. Lots of outlaws came through town. Maybe this is why the Leadville 100 has such a cowboy feel to it (to me, the term "cowboy" conjures up good thoughts; it is indeed unfortunate that the term has now taken on negative connotations). During World War II, soldiers at nearby Camp Hale were forbidden to go into downtown Leadville, where prostitution, drinking and general carousing were a way of life.
The city boasts a beautiful opera house, built in 1879 by Horace Austin Warner Tabor, who was Leadville's first mayor and ultimately made millions in the mining business. If you're from Leadville or even if you live in Denver like we do, the names Horace Austin Warner Tabor and Baby Doe Tabor are quite familiar. At miles 7 and 93 in the Leadville 100 course, runners may access their crew at the Tabor Boat Ramp, named in honor of Horace and Baby Doe, who sadly died broke. Baby Doe froze to death in their Matchless Mine.
In "Born to Run," McDougall paints a rather animated picture of Leadville. As previously reviewed on here, McDougall is quite the storyteller and, at times, colorful, with a tendency for exaggeration. But I think he does a nice job of depicting Leadville, where in the early to mid 90s the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico's dangerous Copper Canyons fielded some incredible runners including the team that bested the indomitable Ann Trason, contributing to the Leadville 100 legend. (As depicted by McDougall, Trason was a petite "community-college science teacher" who routinely opened up a can of whoop-ass during ultra races, compiling an unparalleled running resume over the course of her historic career.) In many corners of the ultrarunning world, the Leadville 100 is nearly mythical, and I think the city and its people are a big reason why the Leadville 100 and the entire Leadville racing series are so unique.
Although Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp are long-gone, the residents of Leadville nowadays are still pretty tough folks. Living at 10,000+ feet, with the brutal winters of the Colorado high country, is hard living. As quoted in "Born to Run," Ken Chlouber says Leadville is a home to "miners, muckers and mean mother fuckers." Living in Leadville got even harder as the 1900s progressed. The repeal of the 1928 Sherman Silver Purchase Act was a dagger near the heart of Leadville, whose economy centered a great deal around silver mining. But the town, sitting atop highly mineralized earth, had more than silver to mine. It had lead and zinc--and plenty of it. And so the Leadville economy survived the doing-away of the Sherman Act.
But then in the early 1980s, disaster struck. In 1982, the hulking Climax mine just outside Leadville started undergoing a closure. The mine, which you pass on the way into Leadville on Highway 24, was a major source of molybdenum, which is used to strengthen steel. In fact, it was the world's largest "moly" mine, supplying about 75% of the international supply of the metal. The mine is still owned, but it's largely inactive. There has been talk of it reopening, but demand for "moly" isn't quite strong enough right now, and so the mine remains closed.
The Climax mine's closure was a disaster for Leadville. According to McDougall, some eighty percent of working Leadville citizens were employed at the mine. With the closure, the city suddenly faced a grave crisis. With a huge unemployment problem following the mine closing, alcoholism, wife abuse, and other types of violence escalated to alarming levels. What Leadville endured in those very dark years was described as "civic death." It faced a future as a ghost town. Lots of folks left.
Well, a guy named Ken Chlouber, a very tough dude who was a hardrock miner, had an idea. With Leadville's future hanging in the balance, let's see if we can turn this town into a tourist attraction and endurance junkie's heaven--even if the winters are brutal and the city is at a suffocating 10,000+ feet. So Chlouber founded what McDougall calls "a monster": the Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run. Ken was inspired by Gordy Ainsleigh, founder of the Western States 100. The Leadville 100 just wrapped up its 26th year, and is now a centerpiece of a series of high-altitude mountain races that bring major talent and lots of bodies to the area. The series includes the 100-mile mountain bike race that Lance Armstrong won in 2009 and Levi Leipheimer won in 2010. But when you're talking about the Leadville Trail 100-Mile Mountain Bike Race, you have to give props to the all-time legend, Dave Wiens.
It's easy to see that the Leadville racing series provides a major economic boost to the city of Leadville. For the most part, the entire town gets behind the races. The events bring in not only the racers themselves, but also their crew and pacers, as well as plenty of spectators. These people eat in the Leadville restaurants, stay in the hotels and lodges, shop in the stores and generally consume a lot, creating a critical revenue stream for a city with a struggling economy.
Sadly, this past summer, Ken and his longtime race partner, Merilee Maupin, sold the Leadville race series to Lifetime Fitness. I ran in the last Leadville 100 "owned and operated" by Ken and Merilee. The series is now owned by a big corporation. Let's hope Lifetime Fitness keeps these races distinctively "Leadville" in nature, honoring the legacy of a great city and its hard-rock mining tradition. Anything less would be a tragedy.
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If you're interested in trying the Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run, allow me to offer a few observations based on my own experience, what I've learned from others, and mistakes I made.
Know what you're getting yourself into. It's clear that McDougall's book is bringing a lot of people to Leadville every summer. I wanted to run the Leadville 100 prior to reading "Born to Run," but I have to say the book raised my interest to an even higher level. When I was coming down Hope Pass, I saw lots of folks struggling badly up the mountain. Most of them were close to the cut-off and probably had to drop. I saw one guy lay down on a rock totally exhausted. If you do Leadville, just know that this race is very different than a sea level event.
If at all possible, spend some time at altitude before the race, especially if you've never been to the high country. In training for the LT100, I did three runs in Leadville (including the marathon), had summitted Pikes Peak and did several training runs above 7,000 feet, hard runs--as in 6:50-7:10/mile pace--on a treadmill set at 13% incline (which are likely responsiblee for my plantar fasciitis), along with running 1,500 miles in 15 weeks...and that wasn't enough to compensate for my inexperience at high altitude. Ideally, if you can do the Leadville 100 Training Camp in June, go for it--it's a golden opportunity to experience the course, learn from LT100 vets (which I'm NOT since I'm just a one-time finisher) and meet other runners.
Piggybacking off the previous tip, have a plan for raceday nutrition. I didn't realize that what worked for me at sea level wasn't necessarily going to work at altitude. Going into the 2011 race, I'm going to experiment with liquid calories such as Perpetuem and figure out precisely what works for me. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to raceday nutrition. Figure out what works for you, but know that for many eating solids at 10,000+ feet can be brutal.
If nothing else, for pre-race on-course training do the Hope Pass double-crossing out-and-back, starting at and coming back to Twin Lakes.
Work on your hiking, especially uphill hiking. You will hike some of the front side of Hope Pass and basically all of the backside of the pass. You will also hike a big portion of the Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass climb. Training runs are seperate from training hikes, but you could incorporate both into your long outings.
I carried trekking poles over Hope Pass and up the Powerline/Sugarloaf climb. Do I recommend them for all LT100 entrants? For some runners, yes. For other runners, no. I will likely NOT carry them in the 2011 LT100 but my crew will have them on hand just in case. My concern about trekking poles at the LT100 is that going up Hope Pass you probably don't want to wear a Camelbak because it's too heavy. You probably want to carry a single water bottle and maybe have a second bottle on a belt. It's hard to handle a water bottle when you also have trekking poles.
If your goal is to finish the LT100, I would avoid doing the Leadville Trail Silver Rush 50-Mile Run, which many use as a training run, since it's 6-7 weeks before the 100 and I think that's not enough time to fully recover from 50 miles at altitude. Instead, I would do the Leadville Trail Marathon in early July as a trainer and plan to venture to Leadville plenty in the following weeks for training runs. Basically any race in Leadville is going to be a significant undertaking, so plan some recovery time if you opt for the marathon as a trainer. Disclaimer: The Leadville Marathon and Silver Rush 50-Mile Run are not run on the LT100 course!
Hope Pass will likely be snow-covered through June. The best time to train on Hope Pass is July and early August. Otherwise bring snow shoes or just post-hole.
If you want a rough idea of what it's like to run at altitudes of 12,000+ feet, get on a treadmill and breathe through a straw or two for several minutes.
Do a lot of hill training. If you live in or near the mountains, there's your training ground.
If you live at sea level and have the resources, consider buying an altitude chamber.
Bring a crew and I would suggest two pacers. The crew will be critical especially from the first Twin Lakes aid station (mile 40) through the end. I would recommend at least two pacers--one who can pace you over Hope Pass and back down to Twin Lakes, and the other from Twin Lakes to the finish. Your Hope Pass pacer could also step in later in the race for relief work.
Understand that the Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass climb, which starts at about 78 miles, has many false summits and is an ass-kicker. The good news is that after Powerline/Sugarloaf, the big ascents are behind you!
Get your lodging ASAP. Lodging in Leadville during the races goes fast. Reserve yours now.
If possible, if you're from sea level, show up at least three days and ideally five days in advance. This will give your body some time to acclimate. If three to five days isn't possible, show up the day before the race.
Bring plenty of gear, including gear for rain, snow and sleet. Colorado weather can change in an instant and afternoon thunderstorms are common in late summer.
I think 80 percent of Leadville can be run with road shoes. For the other 20 percent, which is the Hope Pass section, trail shoes are ideal.
Keep everything as lightweight as possible. At Leadville, muling is allowed. I never took advantage of this rule, to my own detriment. Let your pacer carry your Camelbak and other gear...because later in the race, like going up the Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass climb, carrying yourself is going to be hard enough.
Those are just some suggestions. I'm by no means a Leadville expert. Do lots of homework, check out as many race reports as possible and consider joining the Leadville 100 Yahoo! message board, which is a great source of information. Here's a great resouce (prepared by a friend of mine, Adam Feerst of Run Uphill Racing who is a previous top-20 LT100 finisher) you might want to check out. Here's another great resource brought to you through Run100s.com.
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Here's a video of Timmy Parr climbing the front side of Hope Pass during the 2009 Leadville 100--a race he won. When you get right down to it, Leadville is about surviving the Hope Pass double-crossing.
