Starting to Get Back at It After a Winter of Not Running "Much"

With March here, I'm just now starting to get the itch to ramp up my training and think about my races. This morning, I actually did a tempo run. When you cut through the crap, the two most important workouts you can do to prepare for a long race are 1) the long run and 2) the tempo run. Hill repeats aren't far behind especially if you're an "aging athlete." But I hate hill repeats. I'd rather run intervals around the track. That said, I'm making myself do hills this spring and summer--I need the strength.

All winter long, my mileage has been anywhere from 50-65 miles a week, with one recent seven-day stretch of 72 miles. Honestly, the motivation to bust my ass every day hasn't been there. I've been really busy at work, and we've tried to ski as much as possible this winter (and what an epic winter it's been in Colorado--a fresh powder bonanza almost every weekend of late). Fortunately, my motivation is coming back; otherwise I wouldn't have done a tempo run--and enjoyed it--this morning.

Being able to see the sun rise in the morning, after a winter of cold and darkness, makes a big difference. Unfortunately, with daylight saving time kicking in this weekend, I'll be back in the dark for a few more weeks--always a cruel slap in the face in the early spring. But it's great that we'll have later sunsets--meaning more time outside.

Even though I don't feel old (I know I could still break 18 in a sea level 5K), I know I'm aging. I'll be 41 this June. I'm in good shape according to the metrics we keep at work. My blood pressure is low. My BMI is ideal. My LDL cholesterol is good (though in a recent test my total cholesterol came in a bit high--it's being retested as 18 months earlier my total cholesterol was 162). I've found with age that I'm a bit more judicious with how I use my body and what I ask of myself physically and mentally. It used to be that I wracked up 4,000 miles a year and didn't take much time off at all--because I really didn't need it (or I didn't feel like I needed it). Over the past few years, and especially over the past few months, I've recognized the need to give myself some down time and then, when it really counts, focus on what matters--in 2014, what matters to me is the Leadville 100.

Following so many people on Facebook, on the blogosphere and elsewhere, I can't help but notice a trend I'm seeing. People are racing year-round, running huge miles all winter long, and not really giving themselves any downtime. That may work for a while, but I think over time it catches up to you. In 2010, my foot imploded and my body rebelled on me after putting it through a meat grinder in 2008 and 2009. Back in the day (admittedly, right when I was getting into ultras), there was something of an off-season. Among the first big races of the year were Way Too Cool and Umstead. These days, there's a race every weekend. I honestly think a lot of people (but not all people) over-race because ultrarunning somehow makes them feel good about themselves and they also like the oohs and ahs from non-runners. I get that to an extent. This is my eleventh year of racing long distances, so external validation and praise stopped meaning much of anything to me a long time ago. That said, in a race it's good to get encouragement, especially from your family and friends.

This being March and my conditioning well below where it needs to be by August, ordinarily I'd be feeling a bit freaked out. But not this year. I'm only now starting to get mentally engaged with running after about five months of aimlessly staying somewhat fit and skiing on the weekends (and let me tell you that fresh powder skiing will kick your ass!). Ultrarunning requires such a high level of mental energy (and physical energy, too) that if you're not 100% into it then don't bother. You might as well take up sewing. We're not just warriors; we're kind of like "Jedi Masters"--you have to have your mind into it because the mind is the most powerful weapon for the ultrarunner. My ultrarunning mind is now starting to awaken after a great winter and I'm excited to race soon!

I still plan to run the Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins in early May, but at this point it's hard to see being in great shape going into that race. If I qualify for Boston, I'll be happy. I like to stay qualified for Boston 365 days a year!

Then I'll have the Leadville Trail Marathon in mid-June, the North Fork 50K (or maybe 50-miler?) in late-June and a gnarly half-marathon at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in July--all leading me to the Leadville 100 in mid-August.

My Leadville training will be interesting. Monday through Friday, much of it will take place here in Parker since I work full-time, have a family and don't have the time to run in the mountains during the work week. On Saturdays and Sundays, I'll head to the trails, with Sundays being my big days with lots of vertical. I'll still be able to take the occasional Friday off and head up to the mountains. The most important goal, besides showing up in August healthy, is to avoid peaking too soon.

Onward and upward!

Want to Run in the Sold-Out Mount Evans Ascent?

Want to run in the sold-out Mount Evans Ascent? You can! Just leave me a comment in this blog post and I'll transfer my registration to you. It's an easy process--all online. I've decided to do the Leadville Trail Marathon, which is the same weekend. So I'd love to transfer my Mt. Evans number to someone instead of DNS'ing at Evans.

My Top-3 All-Time List; Getting Over a Hamstring Strain

It's February, and that can mean only one thing! It’s time to start ramping up the volume to get ready for the upcoming racing season. For me, that means I'll soon be at 70 miles a week. And then the real fun starts in May. Of course, August is the big month--that's when I line up for my fifth Leadville 100. This will be my eleventh season of racing. Where did the years go?

Unfortunately, for the past three weeks I’ve been battling a pretty nasty strain in my left hamstring. As with all injuries, I took a look at what I did leading up to the issue and, in this instance, pretty easily determined the cause. In my case, it was the combination of running, skiing and lifting heavy weights—all in a single weekend. Simply put, my left hamstring had had enough and decided to shred on me during a routine 10-miler. So, I haven’t done any weights for a few weeks. I’ve kept running and skiing, though. And I do hope to resume weight-training soon, albeit much more conservatively than before.

Fortunately, my hamstring seems to be turning the corner, thanks to slower-paced running and daily icing. I’m continuing to ski almost every weekend—I consider it not only loads of fun and spiritually healthy but also great cross-training, especially when it involves fresh powder. Plus, there's no place that makes me happier than the mountains. I have developed a real passion for skiing, and I most enjoy it when I’m skiing with my wife. Soon, our son will be skiing the mountains with us. He’s still in ski school and progressing rapidly. Seeing him ride the lift freaks me out.

 

With the Colorado Marathon in early May, there’s not a lot of time to work with if my goal is to break three hours. I need to be putting in some good speed and tempo sessions by the first of March. With my hamstring issue, that may not be possible, meaning I will either skip the marathon (and add the Cheyenne Mountain 50K, which would be slower) or adjust my goals to just a Boston qualifier time. We’ll see. This hamstring strain has really thrown the timing of my marathon training off, since it's prevented fast running. There were days when I could barely walk, let alone run, and yet I still grinded out the mileage. Admittedly, skiing has cut into my training a little, too. My hope is that I’m through the worst of my injury, but I also know that hamstrings take time to heal and you don’t want to keep re-aggravating the muscle. Also of concern is that my hamstring tends to go bad on me with zero notice; one second I’m good, the next second I’m hobbled. So I have to be very cautious.

***

I’m looking for a few other races on my 2014 calendar, including the half-marathon option for La Maratona Verticale, a new set of races coming this July to Colorado’s beautiful Copper Mountain Ski Resort. The marathon apparently has 12,000 feet of gain, meaning the half-marathon has about 6K of climb. I think it would be a cool race—and great training for Leadville since a half-marathon with 6K would involve some decent time on my feet. I haven’t yet ruled out the marathon option…. Twelve K of gain over 26.2 miles would be pretty damned hard. Sign me up!

***

I really enjoyed the recent UltrarunnerPodcast.com interview with Ann Trason. Ann is very humble and not at all comfortable talking about herself and the incredible success she achieved during her legendary career (and she apparently hates that word, “legendary”). She seems really comfortable with who she is and I respect that. Now on my bucket list is to run one of her races; she apparently is a wonderful race director who puts a lot of herself into her events. Check out her interview!

Incidentally, here’s my list of top-3 ultrarunners of all time:

1) Ann Trason

2) Yiannis Kouros

3) Bruce Fordyce

To me, Ann gets the nod because she performed at a high level on the road, track and trail. Here’s another reason: When Ann was running, there weren’t many women competing in races. She was mostly running against the men, especially in the earlier years of her career. And in many cases, she was winning outright or finishing on the podium with badass dudes like Tim Twietmeyer. Many of the records she set still stand today. So I think she would be just as dominant today, if not more dominant, than she was 15 or 20 years ago.

Yiannis, on the other hand, was more a road and track specialist. I will say that Yiannis holds the most insane record in the sport, in my opinion—188 miles in 24 hours. As for Bruce, until someone breaks his scorching 50-mile world record, he’s on my top-3 list. Oh yeah, and he won a few Comrades, too.

Who’s on your top-3 list?

***

I just want to clarify my previous post from last month, in which I wrote that too many of us talk too much and don’t run enough. I said there’s too much analysis of the sport, as if this is ESPN. I think it’s great to reflect on and thoughtfully discuss the direction of the sport and where things are heading. But I think it’s human nature to assume everything going on now is the best ever, the biggest ever, unprecedented, etc. I’ve just gotten to the place in my running life where I don’t like to talk much anymore—I just want to run and race. Maybe that’s a product of being a working stiff who just needs a quiet refuge on the road and trail on a daily basis. Or maybe it’s because most of my running these days is solo—as a result of life’s priorities and a rather isolated existence in Parker, which is far from Boulder and Colorado Springs.

I would add, too, that, like many others, I was very turned off by the fallout after the 2013 Leadville 100. All of the criticism being directed at the organizers turned me off. There were many personal agendas at work, and that’s too bad. Leadville’s a great race and it’s awesome that the organizers have taken it upon themselves to call every single entrant for the 2014 race—just to say thanks, field questions, offer encouragement, etc. Those folks who run the race are good people, and they care.

Back to the too-much-talking thing…. It is hard for me not feeling a part of the ultrarunning culture like I used to, when we lived in Ohio and I ran with a group (of good friends) every Saturday and Sunday. It’s hard for me to make group runs in Colorado Springs and Boulder. I would love to run more with Team CRUD, the Boulder groups, Denver Trail Runners and the Incline Club. There are many people in those circles--runners of all abilities--who I really like and respect (hopefully you know who you are)…and who I see far too little of due to distance and competing priorities in life. It’s just not possible right now, and so I spend lots of time running alone. I’m sure all this alone-time has caused me to approach the sport in a much different way than I did, say, four or five years ago. I realize that my approach to and view of the sport may be very different from yours, and that's OK.

Happy trails!

Goals for 2014; What I Think Ultrarunning Should Do in 2014

New Year's resolutions have never really interested me for a few reasons. First, I think we can (and should) make positive changes in our lives any day of the year, not just on January 1. Deferring changes to the new year, to me, reveals shaky resolve.

What I am into is goal-setting. I have a few personal and professional goals for this year, but for the purposes of this blog I'll just talk about my tentative 2014 racing goals. Here goes:

Break 3 hours in the marathon once again. The last time I broke 3 in the marathon was May of 2009 (a month later I won a 100-mile trail race--wow, those were the days). Damn, the years fly by. I tried to break 3 at the Arizona Rock 'n Roll Marathon last January but came up just a little short. This spring, with my 41st birthday nearing, I think I may once again go for sub-3. I have this crazy goal of trying to break 3 in three separate decades: 2000s--done (2008, 2009), 2010s--not yet, 2020s--we'll see. I've written on here before that I believe the road marathon is the hardest distance of all when you're racing with a goal in mind. Every second counts, and success comes down to pacing and having enough in the tank for that grueling final 10 kilometers. Sorry, but trail ultras, while really hard, aren't quite as hard as nailing a fast marathon time (fast being a relative term, depending on your abilities). If indeed I go for a sub-3 this spring, it'll likely be at the very downhill Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins. That will mean I need to start ramping up in the next few weeks, with March and April being pretty heavy. I need to decide really soon if that's what I want to do, because I'm not quite mentally ready to take on big weeks of running (80+) when there's still lots of skiing to be had. (UPDATE AS OF 1/21: I REGISTERED FOR THE COLORADO MARATHON!)

Break 21 hours at the Leadville 100. If you've been following this blog for a few years, you know I've been fixated on breaking 20 hours at Leadville. Last summer, I trained really hard and still came in with a 22-hour time. My problem is that, while I run at sub-20 pace for 80 miles of that course, I tend to lose a lot of time on the ~20-mile Hope Pass section. This year, with the right fueling strategy (going to experiment with GU Roctane), I believe sub 21 is possible. My one hesitation is that I'm pretty well "fat adapted." I try to use calories on runs as little as possible, but at the same time I need to be ready for race-day nutrition.

Stay injury-free. Knock on wood, but I've been free of injury for over a year now, save a foot deal that happened in November of 2012 and carried over into 2013. I think weight training and MAF have really helped me stay healthy. I also think I've found the right shoes for me--Sauconys, especially the Ominis.

Those are the goals for the year. The marathon goal is still rumbling around in my head but I'm feeling pulled to the Colorado Marathon in early May. Deep in my mind, I have this thing where I need to break three hours so I'll feel like a decent runner. Maybe it's an ego thing. When I feel like a decent runner, I have confidence that translates into better performances in ultras.

***

As a fan of the stop/start/continue tool, here are some things I believe ultrarunning as a sport needs to do in 2014:

• Stop talking about how the sport is growing by leaps and bounds. It's still a very niche sport that, for the most part, operates in the shadows. We've lost all perspective if we think this sport has gone mainstream.
• Stop beating on the Leadville 100. It got old fast.
• Stop saying the sport has gone international. There have been badasses from other nations for years. Ever heard of Bruce Fordyce? Yiannis Kouros? How about Don Ritchie or Oleg Kharitonov? Those guys could run circles around many of us today.
• Stop with the fixation on arranging the sport around the needs of the "elites." This sport isn't about elites; it's about like-minded folks enjoying the road and/or trail together, within the context of a race, and then enjoying a few beers afterward. I couldn't care less what the elites want, but I will say I enjoy watching them mix it up at races like Western States and Hardrock.
• Start getting more road ultras into the mix.
• Stop saying that race X or race Y has "the deepest field ever." That got old a few years ago. There have been many deep fields. I know it's hard for many to imagine anything being bigger or better than what we have today. But I think one could argue, as referenced by the international badasses I listed above, that the sport has been strong for a long time. Whatever.
• Stop talking about prize money. This will not be a big money sport anytime soon, because ultrarunning has little visibility in the "general" market and it's not spectator-friendly. But if it does one day bring in big bucks (which it won't), the sport will go to ruin. Big money=cheating.
• Start running and enjoying the gift on a daily basis. As a sport, we've come to talk too much (I've been guilty of this, too). We should run more and talk less. 
• Stop with the ESPNization of the sport. This isn't the NFL. Enough already.

***

I'd love to hear what your goals are for 2014. Feel free to share them in the comments.

Dear 2014 Leadville 100 Run Entrant....

Well, you did it--you registered for an epic 100-mile race. If you've been running ultras for a while and this is your first crack at Leadville, you're going to love the experience. Leadville will test what you're made of and force you to "dig deep." "Dig deep" and "You're better than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can" are the mottos of the race. That may sound cliche, but when you're climbing Powerline in the middle of the night, with the chips down and more than 80 miles on your trashed legs, those words will mean something to you. Trust me.



If you're new to ultras, buckle your chin strap because you're going to be in for quite a ride. Train hard and get up high and on the trails as much as possible. You've accepted a great challenge that will take you to places you've never imagined.

While it's true the 2013 race had some "issues," as we'll call them, many fellow Leadville veterans I talk with seem to agree that the 2014 running will go smoothly. As set by the organizers, the 2014 race will accommodate 800 entrants. Registration opened "last night" at midnight, and not even 16 hours into the sign-up process 700 spots have been claimed. It is very possible that Leadville will reach capacity in 24 hours! In 2010, I signed up for Leadville in April, shortly after my family and I moved to Colorado. Those days are over!

Given my experience with the races in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, I think 800 is a good number. About 720 will show up (the other 80 will have gotten injured, changed plans, etc.). About 400 will actually finish. Those are manageable numbers.

In the wake of the 2013 race, lots of people took shots at Leadville. While I wasn't without concern over some of what transpired, I never could understand why people would say horrible things about a race that does so much good for the town of Leadville. Leadville is a unique race on many levels. It's very challenging, but yet it doesn't require a qualifier. It's an all-comers race (like it or not). All are welcome. And with "Born to Run" still getting lots of readers, interest in the race continues to be strong. It could be argued the Leadville 100 is the most famous ultra on planet earth, fair or not.

I think interest in Leadville comes down to a few factors. Thanks to the book and the high-altitude environment in which the race is held, Leadville has a lot of cache in the endurance world. The name "Leadville" is much more than a name--it's a brand with a lot of "holy-shit power." We're talking about a "wild west" 100-mile race, held in and around a "wild west" kind of town, that is between 9,200-12,600 feet and has two legit mountain crossings. Plus, the boom and bust story of the town of Leadville resonates with a lot of people, especially in this day and age when so many folks are searching for greater meaning in life amid a world filled with superficial bullshit. For various reasons, not the least of which is the very essence of the town itself, a lot of people think they can find answers running 100 miles at Leadville. When you're up in those mountains working hard, things start to make sense.

People also yearn for adventure. Adventure can easily be found "out West" in our mountains and canyons. I'm in awe of what the settlers endured making their way westward, over huge mountain ranges with erratic and extreme weather to boot. When you're in Leadville, you're in the heart of the Rockies. When you're at the top of Hope Pass, elevation 12,600 feet, there are few better views of the mountains and God's creation.

These next eight months will bring great adventure that will leave you a different person. The race is the reward. Leadville has always tested my resolve in ways no other race ever has. The altitude wreaks havoc on my appetite and stomach. The Hope Pass double crossing has slowed me down more than it should have. Not until 2013 did I finally break through on the Powerline climb and in the last 20 miles of the race. As always, I'll come to the 2014 race as prepared as I can be. I will put in the miles and try to get to the mountains as much as possible. But I know that regardless of how well-trained I may be, it won't be easy. When you're running at 10,000+ feet, anything and everything can happen. I don't want it to be easy. Leadville was made to kick your ass. And it will!


 
 
Further reading, including past race reports, links to other helpful sites and more, can be found here.

2013 in Review, the Future of Badwater and a Plug for Zack Bitter

Wow, 2013 is coming to a close. The years fly by! All in all, this was a good running year for me. Personally, it started out horribly; I was in an awful job situation, stressed out and unhappy and then half of my department (including me) got laid off—a blessing in disguise. Fortunately, 2013 is ending on a great note; I started a new job in August and I’m happy with my work for the first time in a few years. Over the summer, as I was out of work, I ran a ton, putting in some big miles on the trail pretty much every day as I prepared for the Leadville 100. The average month saw 60,000 feet of vertical and 400+ miles. As much as I love to put in that kind of volume because I am, after all, a volume junkie (sometimes to my own detriment), I know that it won’t happen again so long as I’m working full-time and fulfilling my responsibilities as a husband and dad. But that’s OK. In many respects, the summer allowed me to get some things “out of my system” and come to grips with who I really am.

It’s hard to describe with words, but I’ve changed as a runner over the past few months. It used to be that I liked the attention I got as a runner. The “oohs” and “ahs” of what I did with my running kind of felt good deep down even though I've always tried to act humble. But recently it’s gotten uncomfortable. I’ve reached the point in my running life where I don’t need to really “feel good” about it, and I don’t need external validation or adulation. It’s not that I ever needed validation—I didn’t. But on a certain level I enjoyed it when people complimented me on my endurance, and I do believe people who run ultras have a real feather in their cap in terms of workplace advancement (running shows discipline, grit, determination, goal-setting and commitment—qualities that most employers like). Nowadays, with over a decade of “serious” distance running under my belt, I find myself more and more uncomfortable with people knowing what I do in my spare time. Running is part and parcel of my personality and I’m finding that it’s nice to be known for something other than the miles I log. I run not only because I enjoy it, but also because I need it and it’s just what I’m supposed to do. Does that even make sense?

Back to 2013…. It started off on a shaky note when I ran a 3:04 at the Rock ‘n Roll Arizona Marathon in January. That whole experience in Phoenix revealed a great deal to me. Hitting the wall big time at mile 21, I learned that I need volume. For my Phoenix training, I was hitting about 65 miles a week, but logging a lot of really good quality. Though certainly the heat played a role (it was over 70 degrees and sunny when I finished), clearly I’m a runner who needs volume and not just quality. So, for my next big go at the marathon, my mileage will be up in the 80s and the volume will be there, too.

Incidentally, a lot of people assume I would find the marathon easy. You may hear the same thing in your own circles. I tell people that it’s not the distance that’s necessarily hard (though I wouldn’t call 26.2 miles easy); it’s running those 26.2 miles at a good clip that’s freaking hard as all get out. I truly believe that the road marathon is the hardest distance of all, with the possible exception of 50 miles and 100K on the road; you have to perfectly pace the event. Every second counts. Whereas in an ultra you can stop to pee or whatever and not really lose ground, in a road marathon if you stop for anything you’re losing precious time and that PR becomes harder to achieve.

Anyway, after Phoenix, I hit the weights and ran at MAF for three months. Those three months helped me recover and establish a solid aerobic base and the strength to hold up through the racing season. I credit MAF and weights for my being healthy and injury-free (save a sprained ankle) throughout the year.

Then in April I ran the Cheyenne Mountain 50K, really struggling throughout the race but still managing a respectable finish. I had no trail strength and bonked big-time 20 miles in. I managed to pull things together, after getting a few Hammer gels in me, and finish decently strong. That whole experience revealed to me that there’s a huge different between road legs and trail legs. Going into Cheyenne, I had the former, but not the latter (yet). And so I hit the trail in the weeks and months to come trying to get my trail legs back.

A week after Cheyenne, I suddenly found myself out of work and with loads of free time. So, when I wasn’t applying for jobs, networking and hanging out with my son, I was running trails every day. I ran at places like the Barr Trail (Pikes Peak), Grays and Torreys Peaks, Elk Meadow Open Space, both Green Mountains (the one in Boulder and the one in Lakewood), Roxborough State Park, and of course Mount Falcon and Deer Creek Canyon. I even managed to set a new PR on the Incline with a 26:04. It sure felt good tallying up the numbers at the end of each week and seeing huge vertical!

It all paid off big time at my next race, the Leadville Marathon in late June. I ran a 4:19, despite no real taper, being sick with strep throat and losing 3-4 minutes after severely spraining my ankle on the descent into town at the end of the race. My time was a full 20 minutes better than my PR, signaling that I was getting in really good shape for the Leadville 100 thanks to all the MAF, weights and trail running. The problem was that I could barely walk on my mangled ankle. After taking it easy for a few days and getting the swelling down, I got back on the trails and was pretty compromised for a few weeks as my ankle improved. Prior to the sprain, I was running hard down rocky trails and my confidence was sky high. When I sprained it coming into town, I was hammering it down the trail. In retrospect, that ankle sprain really put a dent in things, even as I continued to log huge miles and vertical going into the Leadville 100. I just wasn’t the same after the sprain.

And then there was the 100 in mid-August. The race can be summed up quite easily. The first 65 miles were horrendous. I puked 15 times on Hope Pass on the return trip and just ran flat. I think the 2012 DNF was really playing with my mind. But then not far out of Twin Lakes inbound I got a burst of energy that carried me to the finish in 22:40. The last 35 miles were amazing—I ran almost every step, including the Powerline climb, and passed dozens of runners. Coming into each station, I was howling like Billy Idol and totally pumped up. I credit my wife for giving me a huge 20-ounce Coke at Pipeline—it really got the juices flowing. I feel like in many ways I made a mental breakthrough at Leadville, and I can honestly say I enjoyed the entire experience. While the physical training is critical, so much of successful 100-mile racing at altitude is about the mental game.

The year ended with really solid efforts at the 5K and half marathon distances.

I’m now ready to close the book on 2013 and think about 2014. The year will once again revolve around the Leadville 100. Though I expect I won’t be able to get in the trail miles I did this summer due to limited vacation time and work, I do think I’ll be mentally stronger and the overall volume will be there. I’ll certainly be able to log some quality miles on the trails, but not on a daily basis. I’ll make do with what I have and just enjoy the experience.

***

In closing, I want to make a plug for Zack Bitter’s recent100-mile time at Desert Rats. To run under 12 hours for 100 miles and, in the process, set a new American record and go on to beat Yiannis Kouros’ 12-hour world record is just crazy. Though I’m not big on awards, I really hope Zack wins Ultra Performance of the Year honors—because he deserves it. And I say that knowing that what Tim Olson did at Western States this year was almost just as crazy, as he held off two monsters in Rob Krar and Mike Morton.

***

A final note: As many of us already know, the Badwater Ultramarathon and other Death Valley races face an uncertain future due to the new superintendent of Death Valley National Park instituting a "safety evaluation" that means no permits for events, even long-standing events like Badwater, will be granted. No good reason for the review was provided, and no prior notification to the Badwater organizers was made--which is patently absurd. Such a situation is totally unacceptable, given Badwater’s track record of good organization and runner and crew safety, and it reveals the very frightening nature of what government is becoming. Then there's this disturbing perspective on what's really going on--high radiation levels in Death Valley.

Whatever the case, if runners want to race 135 miles across the desert in the dead of summer, then so be it (unless, of course, there are grave safety issues stemming from deadly radiation, which at this point is pure speculation). My hope is that an organization to challenge this edict by some appointed bureaucrat will quickly emerge--or at the very least we'll get some answers--but sadly the clock is ticking on Badwater and other events. All of us in the ultrarunning world should be alarmed by this situation, because it could set a dangerous precedent for other national parks in which races are held.

Passion, Weights and 2014

If you follow the sunrise/sunset calendar, then you know today the sunsets in Denver start to happen later and later. The sun sets today at 4:35. We spend the next few days at 4:35, and then on Saturday the sun sets at 4:36. Hooray! Our sunrises start to happen later in mid-January. So, while we're now at the point of later sunsets, we're not quite at the point of longer days. Soon enough!

***

Several weeks have passed since my last post. It’s funny (to me, at least) that at various times I just don’t have much to say on this blog. Then there are other times when I’m posting updates a few times a week, or when I’m fired up as with the recent brouhaha over Leadville. I’ve found the same thing to be true with my use of other social media vehicles, particularly Facebook. Sometimes I think Facebook is great (like on Sunday when I participated in a great discussion about the recent Hardrock lottery results), and then other times I think it’s a total waste of time. I think in this world too many people are sharing opinions at once. We need more quiet reflection. That said, I’m occasionally guilty of being a social media loudmouth and so I know I contribute to the noise at times, unlike JT and Woody who cut to the issue with far fewer words :-).

I’m maybe a bit overly passionate at times because I love the sport of ultrarunning. The late, great Jim Valvano once said every day you should laugh, think and have your emotions moved to tears. Whatever ultramarathon distance I’m running--from 50K to 100 miles--all three of those things (laughter, emotion and thought) happen—more than what would ordinarily happen in a road race. Ultrarunning invokes deep passions within me. I can’t be dispassionate about anything related to ultrarunning and/or Leadville because of my love for the act of running long distances.

***

On the running front, I’ve been hard at work with my weight training and have been managing to run 60 miles a week, which for me is fairly low-effort. I gave up on CrossFit as I didn’t have time for it and I began to question whether it was a good idea for a long-distance runner to do those types of movements in rapid succession with the clock ticking. But I digress…. My weight training has evolved quite a bit since last year. This winter, my focus is on heavier weight and fewer reps. I always do my weights on Sunday afternoon, usually 5-6 hours after my long run. For me, Sundays are best as I usually take Mondays off to recover during the winter (during the spring and summer I run seven days a week). I don’t like to do weights on recovery days or the day before my long run (usually Sunday), and I infrequently have time to get to the weight room during the work week. So Sunday afternoon it is. My typical routine is:

• Short run to the weight room to warm up
• 4x6-8 leg extensions, working each leg individually and increasing weight with each set
• 4x6-8 leg curls
• Hip stuff – not sure what the name for what I do is, but it’s great—I have a belt around my ankle and move my leg out from my body (to the side), lifting weight in the process via a pully machine.
• 5x3-8 squats
• Short run back home 

In between sets, I do lots of different things, such as CrossFit-style push-ups, CrossFit-style sit-ups, back extensions and planks. I keep moving, though I have to admit I usually take it easy between squat sets. I love to end my workout with Samson stretches, which really work the hamstrings and hips.

Over the winter, I’m going to continue to take most Mondays off, so that I can recover from Sunday’s work. Tuesdays are usually pretty rough for me as I’m still a bit sore, but by Wednesday I’m a lot better. I’m definitely feeling the benefits of my weight training. On Sunday I squatted 175 pounds three times. That means I’m now squatting more than my body weight. I’d like to work up to 225 pounds by early spring, when I transition away from weights (though I do core work and push-ups throughout the racing season) and start to increase my running volume.

Weights may not work for all runners, but for me I really think they help prevent injuries. The good health I’ve enjoyed this year didn’t come by accident—I think weight training last winter paid off big time. I also think more running at MAF has helped.

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With the Western States lottery not going my way, my 2014 racing schedule is starting to take shape. I’ve already registered for the Mount Evans Ascent. I have two scenarios I’m considering:

Scenario 1

Spring half-marathon (not sure which one)

Colorado Marathon – go for new marathon PR

Mount Evans Ascent

Leadville Trail Marathon

Leadville 100

Scenario 2

Spring half-marathon (not sure which one)

Cheyenne Mountain 50K

Jemez 50-Mile

Mount Evans Ascent

Leadville Trail Marathon

Leadville 100

I’m also eying the San Juan Solstice 50-Mile, which would sub in for Jemez under scenario 2. Jemez and San Juan are both pretty hardcore, though I haven’t run the post-fire Jemez course. I last ran Jemez in 2011, when the course consisted of a series of gnarly climbs that are really beyond the pale in terms of steepness and technical stuff like downed trees, huge boulders, etc. Jemez , which takes place in Los Alamos, New Mexico, will make you cry—it is honestly the hardest course, mile for mile, I’ve ever run (check out Lucho's Jemez race report from 2010). I don’t know what the post-fire course is like, but hopefully it’s still gnarly. I’m sure San Juan will also make you cry, but the elevation involved in San Juan is going to be more Leadville-like. Plus, San Juan is in mid-June—perfect timing for Leadville training.

Decisions, decisions….