Arizona Rock 'n Roll Marathon Race Report and Review

After four days and three nights in the beautiful, friendly, clean and laid-back city of Phoenix, it's great to be back home in Denver. I had a lot of fun in Phoenix and at the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n Roll Arizona Marathon but, as always, I greatly missed my family. It's so hard being away from them.
 

First off, the stats from Sunday's race:

 

Time: 3:04:57

Placement: 82 out of 3223 (top 2.5%)

Division: 15 out of 317

Gender: 71 out of 1,850

 

I fell shot of my A goal, which was a 2:55. I also fell shot of my B goal, which was sub-3 hours. Fortunately, I achieved my C goal, which was to requalify for the 2014 Boston Marathon. And actually I did slightly better than my C goal. Not only did I qualify for Boston, but I'll have a chance at early entry into the 2014 race since I beat my qualifying time by more than five minutes (albeit with 3 seconds to spare!). Also, interestingly, by the time I enter the 2014 Boston Marathon I'll be 40 years old. The qualifying time for me by then will have moved up to 3:15 (right now it's 3:10 since I'm 39). So, if Boston recognizes that my BQ for the 2014 race is 3:15 even though I qualified at 39 under the 3:10 standard, then I'll have an even earlier entry opportunity since I will have bested by my BQ by over 10 minutes. Wow, did that even make sense? We'll see!

 

Basically, I was on pace for a 2:59 through 22 miles and then the wheels totally came off. Here are some more interesting stats from the day (aggregate pace in parentheses):

 

5K: 21:06 (6:47)

10K: 41:50 (6:43)

Half: 1:28:20 (6:43) - on pace for a 2:56:40

16 miles: 1:50:08 (6:53)

20 miles: 2:16:22 (6:49)
26.2 miles: 3:04:57 (7:03)

So, yeah, it took me a whopping 48 minutes and 35 seconds to cover that last 10K. Yowzers!

 

My 5K split was slightly off pace because my first mile was in 7:15--I was a little cold and not properly warmed up, so I went out conservatively and then did a 6:33 mile two. After mile two I stayed pretty well on pace for a sub-3 through mile 22, with mile 20 being my last mile below 7:00. Mile 21 was 7:04 and mile 22 in 7:17. After mile 22, I was down to very labored eight-plus-minute splits. My legs were totally out of gas and my pace was slowing even as my effort level remained super high. I tried like hell to stay on pace by my legs were done!

 

By the time the wheels had totally come off at mile 22, I'd taken two Salt Sticks and two ibuprofen. I'd also taken four gels (a fifth was yet to come) and many waters and Gatorades. Normally I avoid ibuprofen in races, but on Sunday I took these two--spaced apart by one hour--out of desperation. The Salt Sticks proved to be too much. When I crossed the finish line, with the temperature at about 70 and rising, I had major cotton mouth and my face and neck were caked with crusty salt. I was close to dehydration and basically inhaled two big waters as soon as I finished.

  

Looking back on the last few months, I honestly don't know where I went wrong in my training except to say I probably didn't do enough volume. I feel like I did enough quality in my intervals and tempo runs and I know I did enough long runs. I did a total of five runs of 20+ miles all in one go and many, many runs in the 16-18-mile range with lots of marathon-pace miles mixed in. I also had a few 20+ mile days (meaning I did two runs in a single day combining for more than 20 miles). I was consistent on a weekly basis. I think the missing piece was bigger volume and longer runs at goal pace, which clearly result in much greater strength for me. My weekly mileage hovered around 67-71. The three times I've broken three hours, my mileage was in the 90-100+ mile range. But that was a few years ago. This time around I thought for sure that my solid base, complemented by consistent quality, would be enough.

 

I'm still very proud of my performance at Phoenix. I'm back in Boston and I enjoyed my first big-city marathon in almost four years. It's hard to believe, but four years have passed since my last big-city marathon (May 2009). I guess it's also fair to say that I was perhaps a bit rusty--fast marathons are a game of precision in which every second counts. I should have run a half-marathon in my training for practice--big mistake not to have raced 13.1 at least once in my build up.

 

With Phoenix now behind me, I'm excited to take some time to rest and lift some weights to prepare my body for Leadville training. I'm going to keep running and keep up with my quality but I'm going to do less volume between now and my Leadville build-up. My foot is still tweaked--probably a neuroma--and needs some rest. My Leadville training mileage and quality are going to be stout.

 

As for the Arizona Rock 'n Roll Marathon, here are my thoughts on the event as a whole:

Pre-Race Communication: C-. I got too many e-mails about race-day photography, a pre-race "Warming Zone," expo details, etc. It got to be too much. I think pre-race communication is really important, but it should be limited in quantity and focused on conveying only the most important details.
 

Expo: A+. Very nice and well-organized but not outlandish in any way. They made packet pick-up, which was at the convention center, easy and there were lots of great vendors on hand.
 

Start: A+. There were more than enough porta-potties. The corral start went smoothly (at least for me). The race started on time. The atmosphere was festive. I also really liked that the half-marathon started in another location. We marathoners got our own start.

Course: C-. This was a new point-to-point course, going from downtown Phoenix to Arizona State University in Tempe, and it wasn't easy, with over 700 feet of climbing. That's a fair amount of climbing for a "fast" road marathon. I heard from many people that the new course was way harder than advertised, and the crowd support was pretty minimal. Again, this was a new course, but if it's going to have almost 700 feet of climbing then please don't say it's a PR course. On the good side, they had plenty of aid and plenty of helpful volunteers.

Post-Race: Big, fat F. Where to even begin? First off, I had to get on the UPS truck at the finish (UPS sponsored the drog bag service) and literally help the guy find my finish line bag. I shouldn't have had to do that. Second, since it's a point-to-point race, I, like a few thousand other runners, had to take the light rail back to the start, where my hotel was located. The race organizers didn't help one iota with transportation back to the start--there was zero signage for getting to the light rail station at ASU. Like many others, I had to ask about a dozen people how to get there. For the love of God, help the runners get on their way! We're not exactly operating with a full deck after hammering it for 26.2 miles. Oh, and we had to pay our own way back after shelling out big bucks to register. Something about that doesn't sit well with me. And when I finally did get on the light rail, it was packed with mostly non-runners. A few of us runners almost passed out because of the constant stopping and accelerating as we went through at least a dozen depots. After a hard effort, you're in a delicate state, and the light rail about sent me and a few other runners over the edge.

I get the whole point-to-point thing. What they should consider doing is busing runners to ASU for the start, or even making runners pay their way to ASU via the light rail, and then have the race finish in downtown Phoenix. I would have been glad to wake up a tad earlier and pay my way to ASU for the start. No big deal. I have a problem with the organizers making me do a bunch of stupid stuff after I just ran my ass off for 26.2 miles.

Overall grade: B-

 

I'm proud to have requalified for Boston and look forward to going for a PR at the 2014 Beantown classic. My next road race will probably be the California International Marathon in December 2013. But that's a long way off. More immediately, my goal is to get well-rested and start thinking about Leadville once again!

 

Keep rocking!

Taper Week Plan

For the first time in a long, long time, I think I feel reasonably comfortable the week before my big race at the Rock 'n Roll Arizona Marathon. I have a race week plan, thanks to Lucho's advice, that I'm following. The key is to keep my legs fresh and energized and avoid letting them go flat. So, here's what this week looks like:

Monday: Off
Tuesday: Did 4 miles total with 2 miles at 6:40 pace with a 2:00 "rest" (still running) in between. Super easy workout--barely broke a sweat.
Wednesday: Did 4 miles total, 3 of which were at 8:00 pace and 1 of which was at 6:35 pace. Again, super easy. Zero stress.
Thursday: Three 1-mile intervals at 6:40 pace with 1-minute recoveries in between. Hopefully I can do these on the track if it's snow-free.
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3-4 1-minute intervals at 6:40 pace. This is basically just a shake-out effort.
Sunday: RACE!

I'll avoid solid proteins on Friday and Saturday and try not to overhydrate. Rather than eating a huge meal on Saturday night, like I normally would, I'll go light and focus on carbs. My biggest meal will probably be Saturday breakfast, when I have every intention of ordering a huge stack of pancakes!

The high temperature for Sunday will be a balmy 74 76. Yeah, only I could register for a January marathon and then have to deal with unusually high temperatures for this time of year. I'll do the best I can and make adjustments if needed.

My race strategy is to stay at marathon goal pace through the first 14 or 15 miles and then make adjustments if needed. Ideally, I'll stay at  MGP the whole way--from start to finish. I want to get through the first half in 1:27:30 and then get to the 20-mile mark, feeling good, in 2:14. The key is to let those times come naturally and not force myself into a pace that's not feeling good. Also, under no circumstances will I go out faster than goal pace--you pay for that later. I know the last 10K will be challenging and I intend to push through it and run courageously. Hopefully by then the temperature will be in the 60s and I can keep the motor going hard.

After Phoenix I'm going to take it really easy for a few weeks and actually do some weight training and cycling and maybe light running. My foot still isn't 100% and so I'm hoping a little time off will do the trick. I'm now suspecting a neuroma. I may check in with my sports medicine specialist for a diagnosis and then follow whatever treatment plan he recommends.

I'm still trying to figure out what races I'm going to do leading up to the Leadville 100 on August 16. I'll figure that out after Phoenix. But this I do know: I'll be training hard.

Mike Morton, UROY, UPOY and My Own Awards for 2012

Huge congratulations to Mike Morton and Ellie Greenwood on being named Ultrarunners of the Year by Ultrarunning magazine. Mike and Ellie also earned Performance of the Year honors--Mike for his incredible win at the 24-hour world championship, where he set a new American record with 172.457 miles, and Ellie for her record-setting Western States 100 win. In my book, they both more than earned UROY and UPOY.

Pound for pound and mile for mile, I believe Ellie Greenwood is the best ultrarunner in North America. Period. Women's ultrarunning has achieved new heights and Ellie continues to be a dominant force in a sport with incredible talent. When and if she tackles a hardcore mountain race, like Hardrock, it'll be interesting to see how she does. Personally, I'd love to see her run Leadville.

Now, as for Mike, there are some folks out there who think Timothy Olson, who set a new record at Western States with a blazing 14:46, should have won Ultrarunner of the Year and/or Performance of the Year. I can see how UPOY could have gone either way--Morton or Olson. And Timothy, like Mike, is a compelling figure (Olson's overcome drug addiction and incarceration) and super guy. But, personally, I think Mike's record-setting world championship win trumps everything else, including a new record at Western States. I'm speculating on this, but, because Connie Gardner, who also set a new American record at the world 24-hour championship, didn't get UPOY for the women this year, we can only conclude that the voters gave Mike UPOY for his world championship win, with the new American record being icing on the cake. Also, it's worth noting that Mike became the first American to ever win an ultrarunning world championship.

Mike has an incredible story. As the de facto teller of his story (see March 2012 issue of Ultrarunning magazine), I feel like people need to understand a few things about him. First of all, Mike set the record at Western States in 1997, becoming the first non-Californian to win that race, but didn't earn UROY or even UPOY that year. Not long after that, he effectively disappeared from the sport for 10 years. His disappearance was due largely to two factors. First, he suffered a devastating hip injury that got worse and worse. Second, after 9/11 he found himself quite busy with other, more pressing matters, like defending America. As a member of Special Forces, Mike did multiple tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and other dangerous areas of the world where his life was literally on the line every day. Yes, I believe all of that factored a little into the voting for UROY and UPOY this year, but the ultimate factor was his performance in 2012.

Of course, as we all know, Mike reappeared in the ultrarunning world in 2010, surpassing 150 miles at the Hinson Lake 24-hour race that fall, and then the next year (2011) he racked up an eye-popping 167 miles at the same event, quickly reestablishing himself as one of the sport's best. Since then, he's been on a rampage. In 2012 alone, he set course records at several 100-mile races with times in the 13-hour range, including a very competitive Umstead, and also nearly broke the record at Badwater and surpassed Scott Jurek's American 24-hour record by five miles in the world championship. Just to be fair, he DNF'd at the Javelina Jundred in November--something Ultrarunning magazine overlooked when it said he won all five races he entered.

At the tender age of 41, Mike Morton is perhaps at his very best, and that's saying a lot because he was a dominant force in the mid-1990s. I know many will think I'm crazy for saying this, but I have every reason to believe he'll win Western States this June. Why do I think that? He's super fast. He's super tough. He's incredibly motivated. He trains ridiculously hard. He performs very well in the heat (see Badwater and Hinson Lake). He'll have an A+ crew (Eric Clifton crewed him at Badwater). And he's done Western States before. If Mike wins Western States this year, his two victories will have come 16 years apart.

***

Here are some of my own awards, and please pardon all the hyphens:

• Feel-Good-About-Things-Again Award: Anton Krupicka for finishing Leadville fourth overall after an injury-plagued 2011 and early 2012. Note: I'm hoping Geoff Roes wins this award next year.
• I-Didn't-See-This-Coming Award: Hal Koerner for winning Hardrock, which is kind of ridiculous because we all should have seen Hal coming. The guy is a beast.
• This-Guy-Is-A-Serious-Badass-on-the-Run-and-Bike Award: Tim "Lucho" Waggoner for his incredible Leadman record.
• Ages-Like-Fine-Wine Award: Karl "Speedgoat" Meltzer, age 44, for winning a competitive Run, Rabbit Run 100-mile in which lots of guys half his age were nipping at his heels.
• She's-A-Serious-Badass Award: Connie Gardner for her record-setting performance at the 24-hour world championship. Honorable mention: Lizzie Hawker.
• Eats-Nothing-But-Fruit-And-Still-Kicks-Everyone's-Asses Award: Michael Arnstein, aka "The Fruitarian."
• Blows-the-Door-Off Award: Timothy Olson for his new Western States 100 course record.
• We-Knew-He-Was-Good-But-Not-This-Good Award: Dakota Jones for his impressive win at Transvulcania.

***

All that said, there were some head-scratchers with the voting this year. Questions that come to mind:

• Why did Joe Fejes get overlooked for his performances this year, including that insane 329-mile outing he had at Across the Years?
• Why are only North American runners eligible for UPOY and UROY when ultrarunning is a very international sport? Arguably the best mountain runners in the world, like Kilian Jornet and Anna Frost, aren't even eligible for UROY or UPOY.
• Also, if we're going to "count" performances for races outside North America, like Comrades, Transvulcania, world championships and Mont Blanc, then why not also make all ultrarunners around the world eligible for UPOY and UROY? There's a lack of consistency here.
• Why did Max King place third in the UPOY voting this year for his record-breaking JFK 50M run when David Riddle, whose record Max broke, won UPOY last year for his JFK record?

I would love to know more about the voting process. Also, I wish Ultrarunning magazine's website would become more interactive, like iRunFar.com, so that we could all have some dialogue on things like UPOY and UROY.

***

With my marathon in Phoenix a little over a week away, I'm now in the taper stage and very excited. I do think my weekly mileage for the past four months--about 70 a week--has been slightly low. But I also think I've done super solid quality, including intervals, tempos and long runs with fast miles worked in. My quality has been spot on, but I suspect my volume has been a tad low. It'll be interesting to see how things turn out next Sunday. If I turn in a good performance, then I'll know moving forward that my body responds well to quality and that I don't necessarily need huge volume, though in training for 100s I think volume is critical.

Phoenix Taper Begins! / Signed Up for Leadville

What a holiday break! Not since graduate school have I enjoyed such a long break—a full eleven days in which I spent lots of quality time with my family, including a few ski outings to the mountains, and went on some really fun runs. After a few years of talking about it, I finally attended a Team CRUD run, joining the club on Saturday, December 29 for a rather chilly 22-miler on the Sante Fe Trail and Falcon loop in Colorado Springs. I'll be running more with CRUD this year--they like to run long and they're all super nice guys and gals. In addition to putting in some miles with CRUD, I'm also excited about their annual pancake-eating contest.

On New Year’s Day, I ventured back down to the Colorado Springs area, where I ran the Manitou Incline (1 mile "long," 2,000 vertical feet up to 8,600 feet) and then up to Barr Camp and back, climbing a rather stout 4,000 feet. It was very cold at 10,200 feet! After months of grinding out hundreds of road miles, it was great to get back on the trail. I definitely have some work to do in redeveloping my climbing muscles.

From the top of the Manitou Incline on New Year's Day.
1 mile long, 2,000 feet of vertical.

With the Rock ‘n Roll Arizona Marathon (Phoenix) now a little less than three weeks away, I think it’s fair to say “the hay’s in the barn.” And so the taper begins. I’m very pleased with how my training has progressed. The key word here is “progressed,” because my training has been a gradual build-up designed to (hopefully) get me in peak shape for the race. I’ve hit lots of solid quality and also managed some decent quantity. In December, I ran 310 miles (41.5 hours), ending the year with 3,407 miles (I had originally thought I’d end 2013 with 3,500 miles but a math error had me off by 100 miles). Those 310 miles in December included lots of marathon goal-pace running. My Phoenix training included five runs of 20+ miles, including the 22-miler with CRUD three weeks out.

At this point, my goal for Phoenix is a 2:55. I’ll make adjustments as needed, but my plan of attack will center around running even splits (6:40/mile, 1:27:30 at the half) the whole way. If I can get to the 20-mile mark in 2:12 or 2:13, I’ll have a real shot at 2:55. A 2:55 will get me an early entry into the 2014 Boston Marathon.

Fortunately, I’m feeling in shape and lean. I'm about 163-164 pounds. I’ve recently cut back on wheat products, such as bagels, and I’ve noticed that my mid-section is now leaner. My new favorite breakfast consists of a few eggs along with some Greek yogurt. I still eat lots of quality carbohydrates, but I’m trying to really limit the amount of grains I’m consuming. The other day I had a bagel—my first bagel in a long time—and I nearly got sick from it. I can’t do bagels anymore. Greek yogurt is what tastes good now. I’m also eating lots of fresh fruit, such as strawberries, bananas, pineapple and tangerines. I haven’t been this lean in a few years. I do think my body craves certain things in the winter months—fruit being among them.

As far as my taper, it'll involve continued intensity/quality but less overall volume. The purpose of the intensity is to keep my muscles firing, while the reduced volume will allow my legs to freshen up for the big race.

Even as I’m focused on Phoenix, I didn’t delay a second in registering for the 2013 Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run. Registration opened the morning of New Year’s Day and I’ll bet it’ll close out by mid-January. Though Leadville has always been a popular race, McDougall’s book has clearly taken it to a new level. At this point, my only goal for Leadville is to reestablish myself as a sub-25-hour finisher and earn my third El Plato Grande buckle (shown below).

I’ll be spending a lot more time training on the course and will even do some overnight trips. I'm now accruing some camping supplies for those trips, such as my brand-new Primus propane stove.

Perfect for cooking oatmeal, eggs, spaghetti, Ramen and you name it!
Next up: a propane-powered coffee maker!

In 2012, my only on-course training was a night run held by Brandon Fuller. Starting a new job in February, I simply didn’t have a lot of time to venture up to Leadville in 2012, and so I entered the race in good shape, but not in “Leadville shape.” The key to Leadville prep—and I realize this isn’t exactly new information—is high-altitude training. Who'd have ever thought that was the key to success in a race at 10,000+ feet?

If my Phoenix build-up approach pays off, I’m going to carry it over to Leadville—but not without first taking a few weeks off to give my body a rest and allow my right foot, which is still kind of tweaked, to fully heal. For the past few years I think I’ve been starting my training way too early and peaking well before Leadville, leaving me in a compromised state on race day. Looking back on 2012, I had very solid outings at the Cheyenne Mountain 50K in April and Mount Evans Ascent in mid-June, but then the wheels kind of came off in July. I do think a lack of sleep in July killed me, but I’ve come to the realization that I have a very solid base and so my focus needs to be on quality. Quality includes super long runs, which I’ve been lax about for a few years now. So rather than log a week of 90 miles with a long run of 18 miles (an average Leadville training week for the past few years), I might drop my quantity to 80 miles and include a 25-30-miler in there, along with planned rest weeks. My Phoenix training has helped me reestablish good long-run discipline, but once again I’ve done a bad job with planned rest weeks.

I have no clue what my 2013 racing schedule will be. All I know is that I’ll be at Phoenix on January 20 and Leadville on August 17. I’d like to fit in a 50-miler somewhere—Jemez, Collegiate Peaks, North Fork or maybe Silver Rush. I kind of like the July timing of Silver Rush, but part of me thinks I won’t have enough time to recover for the 100. North Fork is the same weekend as a planned outing to Leadville, so that’s not looking good. That leaves Jemez and Collegiate Peaks. I did Jemez in 2011 (the old pre-fire course) and it was, mile for mile, the hardest course I've ever done. Period. I'd kind of like to see what the new course is like. I’ll make a decision soon.

Starting to Get the Ultra Itch!

Phoenix Marathon training is going pretty well. I'm hitting good quality and am taking advantage of the favorable weather we're having on the Front Range. Right now, my goal for Phoenix is a 2:55. That breaks down to 6:40 pace. If I get to mile 20 in 2:12 and am still feeling good, I'll have a decent shot at 2:55. Good marathon times often come down to what you do in that last 10K.

Unfortunately, I seem to have tweaked the ball of my right foot--a likely case of metatarsalagia. This is my first tour of duty with this injury. At first, the injury scared the hell out of me, because I feared a stress fracture in my foot. But I'm now pretty sure it's just an inflamed metatarsal. It definitely doesn't feel good, but at this point it's an injury I can manage amid my training so long as I keep icing it and wearing a special pad in my shoe to help reduce impact. At night, I'm wearing a splint while I sleep in order to immobilize my entire foot and promote healing. This is the same splint I wore when I had plantar fasciitis. Comically, I'm finding that my Hokas provide relief with this injury, so for the time being they're back in the picture, though I'm also spending time in lightweight trainers and, on easy days, my trusty Kayanos.

Speaking of Hokas, there is simply no question in my mind that you can run way faster on smooth descents with them. With Hokas, I can fly on the downs if I'm on a road. But if I'm going down a technical mountain trail, I feel unstable in them.

My hope is that the injury clears up soon. If it doesn't, then I'll manage for the next seven weeks and hope it clears up when I shut down for a few weeks after Phoenix.

Injuries continue to plague me! If you have any advice on overcoming metatarsalgia, please let me know.

***

I'm getting the itch for an ultra! I've been training on roads mostly and so it's no surprise I'm missing the trail. The other night I finally read the 2012 Leadville 100 report in the latest Ultrarunning magazine and I started to feel kind of homesick. The report was pretty good, though I could have done without the beginning part when the author went on and on about Life Time Fitness and its goals for growth in the endurance world. I like Life Time, but I would have rather the report focused on the race's tradition and what happened this year.

I won't be ready for an ultra until at least April. Phoenix is on January 20 and then, like I said, I'm shutting down for two weeks to allow my body to recover and get ready for Leadville 100 training. That means I won't start running again until early February--the perfect time to start some trail running! I actually really enjoy running snowy trails, especially the Barr Trail. I have many great memories of time on the Incline and Barrr Trail last February and March. I really want to break 25 minutes on the Incline in 2013.

It dawned on me a few weeks ago that a pretty remarkable pattern is emerging with my 100-mile times. On odd years I do well in 100s; on even years things go bad. Check this out:

2007 Burning River 100 - 6th overall - good!
2008 Mohican 100 - knee blew up at mile 60; went from 1st down to 4th - bad (for me at least)!
2009 Mohican 100 - 1st overall - good!
2009 USA 24-Hour Championship - 9th overall/131 miles - decent but not great
2010 Leadville 100 - stomach blew up at Mayqueen inbound; barely got to the finish under 25 hours - bad!
2011 Leadville 100 - 22:35 - pretty good (but I could have done better)!
2012 Leadville 100 - DNF with knee problem - bad!
2013 Leadville 100 - Good????????

Yeah, interesting to say the least. Hopefully 2013 will be a "good year" for me at Leadville.

***
As of now, my 2013 calendar looks like this:

Phoenix Marathon - January
Cheyenne Mountain 50K - April
Collegiate Peaks 50M or Jemez 50M - May
Mount Evans Ascent - June
Leadville 100 - August

I desperately want to do Leadman but I just don't have time, at this point in my life, to train on a mountain bike. I think my interest in Leadman mirrors my huge interest in doing an Ironman triathlon. Both are off the table until Noah is a little older (and I have more vacation time).

I'm sure I'll fill in more races for 2013, and of course plans will change. But two things won't change--Phoenix and Leadville!

Nine Weeks Until Phoenix

The world needs more running.

This is my first update since the election. It's no surprise that a lot of people are still bitching about the outcome of the election and forecasting the downfall of America. Blah. Blah. Blah. Whatever.

Americans need to watch less TV, especially the "news," and get outside more. Nothing helps me to break through the clutter and make sense of the world around me quite like running. It's my own private retreat. When I'm out there putting in the miles, it's just nature and me--whether I'm on the trail or on the road. I genuinely believe much of the stress and ills we experience could be alleviated if we just got active and surrounded ourselves with nature. Our problem, from my own eyes, is that we spend too much time doing meaningless stuff, like watching TV, listening to talking heads, worrying about who's president and Facebooking. Eventually this ridiculous crap dims our worldview, leaving us feeling hopeless.

***

Nine more weeks until I toe the line in Phoenix for the Arizona Rock 'n Roll Marathon. I'm excited for sure. My weekly mileage and time on my feet are holding steady at about 65 and a little over eight hours. My quality is super solid. On Sunday, I ran 18 miles mostly on the track, completing 4x2 miles at marathon pace (6:35-6:40), with one mile "recoveries" at about 7:40 pace in between. This was no easy workout. It really helped me that Anne, Noah and our dog, Nicholas, were there keeping me company. As I ran around the track, Nicholas chased after me while Noah kicked his soccer ball on the football field. We slapped high fives a few times.

After Sunday's workout, I felt quite ill--likely the effects of the Z-Pack I was prescribed for bacterial bronchitis earlier in the week. My stomach was a mess! This all brought back memories of the 2010 Leadville 100, which was my first Leadville. A week before the race, I was diagnosed with strep throat and put on an antibiotic. I took my last pill the Thursday before the race and made sure to eat a ton of yogurt to keep my stomach strong. Though I finished the race (in under 25 hours), I fell ill with massive stomach problems at the Mayqueen inbound aid station (86.5)--likely the after-effects of the antibiotic. It's amazing I recovered and went on to finish.

Overall, I feel good about my Phoenix training and where I am with my fitness. My one concern is with volume. When I'm gunning for a PR, my natural tendency is to jack up my volume and put in a ton of miles. This time, I'm resisting the urge for a ton of miles and am instead focusing on quality, which includes intervals, tempo runs and long runs. We'll see how it pays off on January 20.

***

When I kicked off my Phoenix Marathon training, I suspected that all these road miles would leave me missing the trail. While I've really enjoyed training on the road, a big part of me wants to get back to the trail. I'm trying to stay disciplined and do specific training, but I definitely see some trail running in my immediate future. Of particular interest to me is a trip down to Manitou Springs to do the Incline and then take the Barr Trail up Pikes Peak as far as I want to go--one of my favorite Front Range runs. I've run some amazing trails in Colorado, but nothing quite rivals the entire Barr Trail experience, especially the run back down the mountain. So, yeah, I may take that trip pretty soon.

I have it in my head that I want to break 25 minutes on the Incline in 2013. My current PR is just over 27 minutes. The Incline is, without question, the hardest single mile I've ever done. You're talking about 2,000 feet of climbing in a single mile, with an average grade of about 40%. It's lung busting, grueling, painful and fun--all at the same time! I'm not kidding when I say the Incline can literally kill you if you're not in decent shape.

Speaking of the Incline, I saw that the unofficial "record holder," pro triathlete Mark Fretta, got busted for EPO and is now serving a ban. I remember first reading about Fretta's amazing Incline "record," which has been mentioned by prominent outlets like The New York Times and Runner's World, and thinking how incredible it was to do it in 16 minutes and change. But now he's been exposed as a cheat. It's sad that so many pro athletes have resorted to cheating.

***

I'm super excited about plans for a long weekend in Leadville in late June. I'm planning to basically live out of my car and tent for three or four nights while running the 100-mile course and just enjoying one of the most beautiful areas on planet earth. By then the snow will be gone, allowing for some incredible training. At this point, all I can think about is doing that Hope Pass section over and over again.

I think often about what went down at this year's LT100. I know I should put it behind me--and in some ways I've totally moved on and my knee is back to 100%--but at the same time my DNF serves as motivation. Once Phoenix is behind me, Leadville will be all that matters. And, for the first time in my ultrarunning life, I won't care about my time. Yeah, I'm going to train hard, but what I'm really going to be after is that feeling of finishing. I just want to finish Leadville again. I want that third El Plato Grande buckle.

New York Marathon Mea Culpa; Training Update

Before I launch into this latest post, I want to make a confession. This weekend, I came to realize I went overboard in ranting and raving in favor of the cancellation of the New York City Marathon. I do think the marathon should have been cancelled, but what I didn't consider were all the runners, like JT,  who'd flown in for the race only to find that they'd wasted money and time traveling to an event that ultimately never happened. I feel badly for them. I only wish the organizers had cancelled the race earlier in the week, before runners departed for New York.

It's funny how sometimes you feel so convinced of something, as if there's no doubt in your mind that you've taken the correct position. But the next day you have misgivings, only to realize you hadn't really considered all sides. Then regret sets in. Mea culpa.

***

With the Arizona Rock 'n Roll Marathon about ten weeks away, I have to say my training is going quite well. For the week that just ended, I logged 68 miles. On Tuesday, I nailed great quality at the track, running my three one-mile repeats between 5:37-5:47 each. On Wednesday, I ran six miles at tempo pace. On Sunday, I did a grueling 20.25-miler in 2 hours, 35 minutes in the Parker hills, climbing 1,100 feet. All other days I went easy. That's a pretty typical week for me as I get ready for Phoenix.

I'm finding that, if I can keep my calves loose, my ankles, soleus muscles and right Achilles feel a lot better. I've had some trouble with my right ankle for the past year or so. Every night I stretch both calves with a rubber band I got from my physical therapist. I get on the floor with my legs extended in front of me. I wrap the band, which has a loop on the end, around my foot and then gently pull back. I've noticed that both calves are much looser than they were a few months ago. I'm also using that same PT band to stretch my hamstrings.

I think tight muscles are a huge contributor to injuries. Not all stretching works; in fact, some stretching can cause injuries. Physical therapy bands seem to work perfectly for me.

Back to training. Sunday's long run was my third 20-miler in my build-up to Phoenix. I'm planning another four or five 20-milers, including one run of 22 miles, between now and January 6. I've noticed that they're getting a tad bit easier, though running 20 miles isn't ever easy. I'm also making a point to take the next day (Monday) completely off from running. I might cycle a bit, but for the most part I'm trying to completely rest on Mondays, because the rest is what allows me to build strength from the previous day's long run.

I do think that capping my mileage on Saturdays to 11 has allowed for better quality in my Sunday long runs. Constant back-to-backs like what I've done for years now had worn me down.

Bottom line: The strategy I'm employing for Phoenix is quality-focused. It's more about good quality than about big volume. We'll see if it pays off. I can say this much; from 2005-2007, I ran a bunch of marathons in the 3:05-3:09 range while logging about 50-55 miles a week with zero quality except for a Sunday long run and a few pick-ups here and there. With 100-mile weeks and good quality mixed in, I dropped my PR to 2:58 in 2008, even as my training was focused on 100-milers and not road marathons. It'll be interesting to see if the current formula of 65-70 miles a week with lots of quality and rest and a very long run will pay off.

And if it does pay off, I may tweak the formula for my Leadville 100 training, jacking up my long runs to 25-35 miles while still getting in good quality. Speaking of Leadville, all these road miles I've been logging lately, while enjoyable, will certainly result in me really wanting to get back on the trail after Phoenix and start gearing up for the 100-miler. Although the mountains will be blanketed in snow, I do love tackling the Manitou Incline and the Barr Trail, as well as the Flatirons in Boulder, during the winter months. I fully expect to break 25 minutes on the Incline in 2013!

Although I'm super focused on Phoenix, I am thinking quite a bit about what races I'm doing in 2013. At this point, the only races I'm a lock for are Phoenix on January 20 and the Leadville 100 on August 17. I'll be in Leadville a lot in late June through early August, training on the course, so that timeframe is pretty well spoken for. A big part of me would love to enter Leadman, but right now I just don't have the time to do that kind of training. Any suggestions for races in 2013?

Also, feel free to chime in if you have any thoughts on my current Phoenix Marathon training protocol. I'd love to hear what folks have to say.

Stop, Start, Continue....

In the corporate world, there's a tool called "Stop, Start, Continue" that many companies use this time of year for budgeting and "resource allocation" purposes. I've never been one to espouse the virtues of corporate tactics and strategies, but I do think it's a great idea for us runners to occasionally look at how we're training and racing and consider new approaches while letting go of bad habits.

With my training for the Rock 'n Roll Arizona Marathon now under way, here's what I've started doing, stopped doing and continued doing.

What I've Stopped
I'm no longer pushing myself to hold a good pace on a daily basis. On my easy days, I'm trying to run easy, and usually that's around 8-8:30 pace. I'm no longer obsessing over my GPS and making myself run a certain pace on easy days. Easy days=easy pace.

Also, I've stopped breaking long runs into two workouts. Over the past few years, as my free time has become more limited, I've gotten in the bad habit of running, say, 16 miles in the morning and then 4 more miles later that afternoon, so that I could tell myself I covered 20 for the day. Such an approach, while occasionally a good tactic when training for 100-milers, instills a false sense of security.

I've stopped doing back to back long runs every weekend. My Saturday mileage is now capped at 11, and on Sundays I'm going long. By limiting my Saturday mileage, I'm able to enjoy greater quality in my Sunday long runs. When Leadville rolls around, back to backs will come into play again, but for now they're off the table.

Finally, and as noted in a previous post, I've stopped wearing Hokas. I'm now mostly wearing lightweight trainers with good stability (Ascics Gel DS Trainer 17s and Nike Lunar Glide 4s are my favorites) and the right amount of heel lift.

What I've Started
I've started emphasizing long runs. On Sunday, I covered 20 miles in the Parker hills in 2 hours and 35 minutes (with 1,100 feet of climbing mixed in). In training, there are many ways to skin a cat, but one thing you can't do--if you really want to break through--is skimp on long runs. Twenty miles all in one go will benefit you a lot more than 16+4 over two workouts in a single day. For one thing, two workouts in a single day may slow your recovery and can sometimes lead to burn out (you need that sense of accomplishment without another run hanging over your head). But, most important of all, when you push yourself to 20 miles and beyond you realize some great benefits in terms of physical and mental conditioning. I plan on doing another seven or eight 20-milers (including at least one 22-miler in 2:50 or less) to get ready for Phoenix.

As noted above, I'm also trying to go easy on my easy days. Your biggest gains come from your quality days, not your easy days--so there's no need to push yourself on easy days. Rather than obsess about a certain number of miles on easy days, I'm just running at a gingerly pace (8:00-8:30) and going more on feel than on a certain distance.

I also have a renewed focus on flexibility. I'm doing some yoga stretches to try to help prevent injury and promote recovery--critical during this time of year when the temperature is cooling off.

What I've Continued
Quality is king--it's how you make big gains. Long runs of 20+ miles are great quality, but so are intervals and tempo runs. I've always been great with regular tempo runs but my commitment to the track over the past few years has been sketchy. Intervals will get me faster while tempo runs will improve my strength and long runs will condition me for the challenge of running 26.2 miles at 6:40 pace (or faster).

Marathon Training has Begun

Just like that, I'm back to training with a purpose. Most of September was spent "exercising," recovering from surgery and just basically trying to re-establish a base (in addition to putting on a few pounds that I'm now starting to shed). But, with October now upon us, I'm back at it with dreams of a new PR at the Rock 'n Roll Arizona Marathon (a.k.a. the Phoenix Marathon). At this point, I'm not chasing after a specific time, though I want to PR (current PR is 2:58).

Basically, the training plan is to do three quality sessions a week: an interval session, a tempo run and a long run. Everything in between is going to be at "easy" pace. This morning I did 3x1600 at the track and had a great time. The last time I did 3x1600, which used to be my bread-and-butter track workout, was 2009. It was always a great indicator of my fitness. If I could run each interval in about 5:35, I knew I was in good shape. Today, my times were around 5:58-5:59--slow, but not super slow, and you can't overlook the fact that I'm now at elevation.

As winter rolls in, getting in quality may become tricky, but fortunately I have easy access to a treadmill in the event that the roads are icy.

I've been thinking a lot about what I want as a runner. I'm not yet sure what I want in the long-term, but right now I want to succeed at Phoenix and come away from that race satisfied and knowing I've earned a spot at Boston in 2014. I'm trying not to think about Leadville in 2013, even though Leadville is always lurking deep in my mind since that race is a big part of who I am as a person. I won't even start training for Leadville until early April.

For me, it's a hell of a lot harder to run 26.2 miles at 6:40 pace than it is to run a 50K or 50-miler in the mountains (notice I didn't include 100-milers--the difficulty of those is beyond the pale). The training for a PR effort in the marathon is a lot more focused, structured and specialized (and I like that), but not quite as grueling as training for a 100-miler. I think doing nothing but ultras is limiting. Over time, ultras can slow you down, especially if all you do are trail races. If improving and getting faster are important to you, then it's good to race different distances on different surfaces, and that includes the road. There are some awesome road ultras out there, such as Spartathlon and Comrades.

As far as volume, my goal through October is to keep my weekly mileage around 60-65. In November, I'll likely get into the 70s and in December I may bump things up to 80 miles a week. They key is not sacrificing quality for quantity. One of the big changes I'm making is not doing back to back long runs every week like I've done for years on end now. On Saturdays, I may do only 10 miles, and then on Sundays I'll go long. I want my long runs to be high quality, and I want to do several 20-milers in advance of Phoenix. This Sunday I'll be going 20 miles.

Here's to the joy of marathon training!

Ramping Up for the Marathon / Ultrarunner of the Year Thoughts

Now that I've turned the corner in my recovery from a minor surgical procedure I've been putting off for too long, my thoughts are turning to the Rock 'n Roll Arizona Marathon in Pheonix on January 20. I've already registered for the race and booked my hotel room. I still need to get my flight. These are important steps in the mental engagement process.

Of course, the biggest factors in preparing for a race aren't getting a hotel room or even registering (though certainly both are vital). The most important things you can do are dedicate yourself to the goal at hand and do the right training. My goal is to run a 2:55 in Phoenix. I've begun running again, after a full week off as I recovered, and have set October 1 as the official start of my marathon training.

My training is going to be much more strategic than in years past. It used to be that I just ran a bunch of miles, including speedwork, tempo runs and long runs, and showed up at the start hoping for the best. Usually, things worked out well (yeah, those were the good 'ole days). This time around, what most matters to me is peaking on race day and being 100% healthy. I'm re-reading Daniels' Running Formula (which I first read in 2006) and am focusing heavily on the build-up stages I'm going to need to do to get in peak shape. Right now, I'm just trying to re-establish my fitness, as I lost a step or two just from that week off. Plus, I'm still not 100% from the procedure.

Contrary to what Paul Ryan might have us think, breaking three hours in the marathon is a challenge for most of us. I know because I've done it three times (in a row). You have to put in the right kind of training, which includes fast stuff and long stuff. Over the past few years I think I've gotten lazy with my long runs, instead going on lots of outings of 18 or fewer miles and then maybe doing a double later in the day so that I could say, yeah, I did 22 or 23 miles that day. But no matter how you slice it, there's no substitute for a good, quality 20-22-miler when you're training for a marathon--just as 30-35-milers are incredibly important to preparing for a 100-miler. There's no substitute for a focused tempo run. And there's nothing quite like hammering it around a track or doing fast fartleks.

As much as I'm excited about Phoenix, I've had moments where I've felt pulled to do another ultra this year. With my DNF at Leadville, I don't meet the qualification criteria for Western States in 2013. That really sucks because I would have had an extra ticket in the lottery. I thought for a brief moment in time about finding a qualifying 50-miler and gettin' it done, but that would just interfere with my marathon PR goal. So, after doing some soul-searching, I've decided not to do any more ultras this year and instead focus on getting ready for Phoenix, which I think will establish a super-solid base for my Leadville training.

I'm also thinking a little about 2013. I know there's Phoenix on January 20 and the Leadville 100 in August. I'm going to race less and instead use the time to train on the Leadville course and get 100% comfortable with every section, mostly notably the entire Hope Pass section (from Twin Lakes to Winfield and back). But I'd like to do a few races. I'm considering the Lt. JC Stone 50K, a road race in Pittsburgh that's run on the old GNC Ultras course, in March. I did the JC Stone in 2009, finishing fifth overall with a 3:46 despite a hideous upper-respiratory bug, and it's a great race. I'd love to go back to the Mt. Evans Ascent--there's something about that race. Then there's the Leadville Trail Marathon in June. We'll see.

***

Final note: I don't know about you, but in my mind 40-year-old Mike Morton is a lock for Ultrarunner of the Year. His record-breaking 172.457-mile performance at the 24-hour World Championship in Poland a few weeks ago just sealed the deal. Averaging 8:21 pace for 24 hours--and that includes refueling and bathroom stops--is just insane (even more insane: Yiannis Kouros' world record 188 miles in 24 hours). This year alone, Mike's had three 100-milers all under 14 hours (winning each), a near record-setting win at Badwater and of course that eye-popping performance at the 24-hour worlds. I do think Tim Olson should get consideration, especially for Performance of the Year (though here again I think Mike is the favorite with his 24-hour result), but Mike has clearly had the best year of any ultrarunner out there.

For the women, I think Connie Gardner, who logged 149.368 miles at the 24-hour worlds to set a new American record, should get Performance of the Year. Of course, the venerable Ellie Greenwood, who may one day best many of Ann Trason's records, gets the women's UROY.

I guess some may say I'm crazy for not thinking Ellie and Tim should get Performance of the Year for their incredible Western States records. Those were great results for sure, but let's not forget that the weather that day was insanely cool compared to the norm. In areas of the course where the temp usually hits 100+ degrees, people were wearing jackets.

In summary:

• Ultrarunner of the Year/Men: Mike Morton (landslide victory)
• Ultrarunner of the Year/Women: Ellie Greenwood (landslide victory)
• Performance of the Year/Men: Mike Morton, 24-hour worlds (narrowly edges out Tim Olson, Western States)
• Performance of the Year/Women: Connie Gardner, 24-hour worlds (very narrowly edges out Ellie Greenwood, Western States)

I can't end this post without also throwing out props to a runner who I've admired for years and recently collected his 31st career win at the 100-mile distance. At the tender age of 44, he beat out some seriously fast dudes nearly half his age, and in the process he earned a five-figure paycheck for yet another great day at the office. Congratulations to one of my heroes, Karl Meltzer, a.k.a. the Wasatch Speedgoat, on winning the inaugural Run Rabbit Run 100-Mile. Karl's mojo is legendary and, yeah, for him, "100 miles isn't that far."

Final thought: Karl's win at Run Rabbit Run, because of his age, was every bit as surprising to me as Hal Koerner's amazing win at Hardrock this year (Hal lives in Ashland, Oregon, which is at a paltry 1,800 feet, but grew up in Colorado). The smart money was on guys like Joe Grant and Dakota "Young Money" Jones to win Hardrock, but ultimately Hal, being a grizzled veteran, got 'er done, just as Karl brought it at Run Rabbit Run.

Let me know what your thoughts are on who gets UROY and Performance of the Year!

Pressing the Reset Button and Focusing on the Road (for Now)

Sometimes you just have to press the reset button. After nine years of running long distances--six of which have been spent doing mostly trail ultras of the 100-mile variety--it's great to start anew.

I'm back wearing stability shoes and light-weight trainers and, for the first time in months, I can actually feel the ground beneath me. At this point, I don't really miss my Hokas. Yeah, they're super soft, but Hokas just don't give my feet the support I need. I can't help but wonder if Hokas weren't somehow connected to my injuries of late. Instability in the feet often leads to soft-tissue injuries such as tendonitis in the shins, knee pain, etc. I'm not necessarily blaming Hokas; I'm just saying maybe I need more support in a shoe. So I'm going back to the type of shoes that I started out in so many years ago, with particular emphasis on weight (or lack thereof).

I've managed to mostly put my DNF at Leadville behind me. I still have feelings of sadness over what went down that day, and I'm dead set on being ready for next year's race (already booked our cabin). But right now I'm trying to get 100% healthy (free of all of the little aches and pains you develop preparing for a 100-miler) and ready for my Phoenix Marathon training. Phoenix is on January 20. Coming from 6,200 feet to a sea level city known for its nice weather in January (average temperature that time of year is in the mid-50s), I'll be looking for a new PR in the "Valley of the Sun." To say I'm motivated would be an understatement. But right now I'm being patient and allowing some time to heal.

I've always been a road guy at heart. I love the trail, and I love the mountains we have out here in Colorado, but I started out a road runner and many (but not all) of my most memorable races have been on pavement (e.g., Cleveland Marathon in 2008, Lt. JC Stone 50K in 2009, North Coast 24-Hour in 2009). I still believe that the greatest measure of a runner is his or her marathon time. At the same time, I remain hopeful that road ultras will make a comeback.

My last marathon was in April of 2011, when I finished fifth overall and first in my age group at the small-town but very charming Eisenhower Marathon in Kansas. The hot, windy weather that day really posed difficulties, leading to a disappointing 3:11. With Phoenix, I want to get my marathon time back down below three hours, with the added benefit of early entry in Boston in 2014. I figure I don't have many more years to try to best my 2:58 marathon PR.

The last time I was really focused on a marathon was the fall of 2008, when I trained for the Columbus Marathon. A few days ago I looked back on my Columbus training and it reveals the building blocks of a good marathon program--intervals, tempo runs and 20+ milers. Unfortunately, my training was a bit inconsistent, as Noah was just a few months old at the time. A couple of weeks before Columbus I strained my hamstring, but I still came in under three hours. The next spring I ran another sub-three as I was training for a 100-miler, but that marathon (Cleveland) wasn't a goal race.

So this fall I'll be 100% dedicated to Phoenix. I'm having a minor surgical procedure in mid-September, probably requiring a week off from training. But, other than that, I'll be banging out the miles and doing lots of quality. I know what I have to do--lots of 20+ milers, intervals and tempo running. The good news is that I can crank out a 20-miler in ~2:30 or better, starting from my doorstep. I'm super excited and hopeful for decent weather through December. Hopefully I can find a few half-marathons for tune-up runs.

As always, I'll be posting updates on my training. Yeah, it'll be good to put away my trail shoes for a bit and hit the road for some fast stuff, with dreams of a new 26.2 PR.