Saturday, December 3, 2011

Race Recap

We did it! Well we did it back in August and I'm writing this recap in December. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to it. TransRockies was an amazing experience. Mark and I had some amazing highs and a few lows.  Rather than recount each day in detail and bore you, our millions of fans, I'll just summarize my perspective of the week running the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

First off, Mark and I were not alone. 20 to 25 runners from Flagstaff entered this amazing race, including the ultimate winners of the race, our coach Mike Smith and his partner Jason Wolf. We traveled up to Buena Vista, the start of the race, with a full carload of fellow Flagstaffians. It was a great start to a week of hanging out with friends and making new ones.

Mark and I were both feeling great the night before the start. A little nervy, but that's to be expected. We went out for a little shake-out run and all was good. It was exciting to get to the start the next morning, not entirely what to expect for the week. There were a lot of smiles at the start and a lot of excitement for what we were all about to embark on. Mark and I started off great and were on pace for our goal for this first 20 mile segment of the race. And then it hit. About halfway through the first stage, Mark started feeling it. I'll let him describe his experience, but it seemed kind of like a GI and upper GI problem. It forced him to have to start taking walk breaks. He kept at it though, pushing through the pain and nausea. I was still hopeful that he'd work through it, but as we neared the finish and Mark was getting worse, not better, I started to realize how significant his problem was. Crossing the finish was anti-climactic and not what I dreamt it would be. Mark was in bad condition. I was immediately concerned for him as I hung out in the medical tent. Later that afternoon, I also started to selfishly worry about my race. That conflict between genuine concern for Mark and selfish concern for my own race stayed with me throughout the remainder of the week.

It was difficult for me to settle in at camp that first night, not really certain how things were going to turn out. I was feeling good and anxious to get running and test out my training. Mark was determined to continue, but he wasn't looking good. The 2nd stage of the race was a short one, but a difficult one. We walked just about the whole thing, a little over 13 miles. It was tortuous for me by the end and I'm sure for Mark too. He wasn't feeling good.  Much of the stage was on beautiful trail, but I found my mind often wondering what would happen tomorrow. I think Mark was wondering the same thing as we began the discussion - do I go on without him. I knew I wouldn't leave Mark if we started together. So we discussed how stage 3 would go. I wasn't prepared to walk that one, 24+ miles and I'm sure it was hard for Mark to be keeping me back.

Camp life began to pick up for me. I started getting into the routine of eating, massage, hanging out with friends. The community dinner was often a lot of fun, and it culminated in an awards ceremony and a slideshow for the day. Many of our fellow Flagstaffians had podium finishes and it was great to support them and enjoy their success.

Mark and I had a plan for stage 3 so I started worrying less about my race, though continued concern for him. Mark still wasn't doing well. He seemed to be generally fine at rest, but the effort of racing taxed his system. He was struggling to figure out what was going on and I can't imagine his frustration. We decided that we would start the stage together, along with another Flagstaff team who had a similar situation. The four of us ran together as we left Leadville for about 3 miles. As the course headed uphill, Mark and one of the other runners started feeling it. That left me running with Bob, the other teammate who was feeling good. Bob and I thought about waiting at the top of the climb for our partners, but ultimately decided that we all pre-planned to switch partners if needed, and that's what we did. Bob and I then took off down a descent and I felt like we were flying. Bob's a stronger runner than me, and he lead us on a fast paced run through the trees. I whooped and hollered and must have been smiling ear to ear. I was running! Stage 3 was awesome. It was a beautiful run, but a long one, over 24 miles. I felt great though. The last couple of miles was a grind to the finish, but we came in at just over 4 hours, good enough for fourth place. It was a good day for me as I finally got to test out my training. Unfortunately, as I would learn later, Mark continued to have trouble. He walked much of the course with the switched partner and it sounded like he was not sure whether he could continue the race.

That afternoon at camp, I ate a lot, took a dip in the lake, hung out with friends, and generally enjoyed the atmosphere. The nightly dinners, awards, and slideshow was a blast. Mark decided to give the camp doctor one more shot, and he insisted on getting fluids by IV. He was in the medical camper for a while, but when he came out, he seemed like a new man. Mark was going to give it one more shot, and if it didn't work out so be it. The next morning, we started the stage together along with our fellow struggling teammates. It became quickly apparent that Mark was feeling differently today. He felt like his usual self. It was an amazing feeling as we climbed the first half of the stage to an amazing view of the Presidential Mountains. We were practically in tears as we celebrated finally running together as a team. Mark was elated. This was the first time he felt like himself since the first part of Stage 1. We cruised through a mile of water near the end of the stage and onto the finish. It was our first finish together where we truly felt the satisfaction of our effort. What a great day.

Stage 5 started off a little rough for me, and for basically the first time, Mark was carrying me through those first 8 miles of climbing. By the time we got to some single track I was starting to improve. We started running great as a team, just as we have all through training. We had another great day and were happy to finally reach the finish in Vail. And then there was Stage 6, the final day. By this time, we didn't think too much about feeling bad. We just ran. It was liberating. Stage 6 was by far the most challenging stage. It was a mix of technical terrain, steep climbs, and distance. It was perhaps the most challenging day I've ever raced. But off we went. We had just a good, steady pace early in the stage. About 10 miles in we started passing quite a few teams. Soon enough we found ourselves passing the third place team. Are we really in third place right now? It was so incredibly exciting, but it also made me worry about losing it. I pushed the pace a bit and Mark was awesome at staying with me. The stage was becoming a complete grind as we approached the 20 mile mark. Up in the distance, though, we spotted the 2nd place team, and they were hurting. Mark and I passed them, but we weren't feeling so great either. This challenging stage was starting to take its toll. But we persevered. After the most horrific climb I've experienced, we finally crested into Beaver Creek ski area. As we started the descent, a couple of miles to the finish, we knew we were in 2nd place. So down we ran.

We could see the finish line and as we neared, we started to hear the announcer. He barked out our names and then I heard him say we were in second. While I knew it already, when I heard it over the PA system it made it seem so real. Mark and I both got so extremely excited. It truly was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. As we ran for the finish we were jumping and pumping our fists with so much joy. It was such a great finish to such an emotional week. To finish 2nd after this tough week was an amazing accomplishment. Randi was waiting at the finish and it was so great to share this experience with her. Mike Smith was there too and he was so extremely excited for us. What a great day.

The Finish!



We Did It!

Go Flagstaff!

Later that night, at the daily dinner, awards ceremony, and slideshow, Mark and I finally had our due. How sweet it is!




-jea

Thursday, August 18, 2011

This Is It!

Well the training is over, last easy 6 mile run today with lots of friends and fellow Transrockies runners.  A bunch of us are loading into the Yukon tomorrow for the drive to Durango where we will stay, have a nice dinner, and then continue on to Buena Vista and the start of Transrockies 2011.

On December 4, 2010, I couldn't have guessed I would be where I am today.  With over 1700 miles, 230+ runs, and 175,000 feet of climbing, I have run crazy runs, including multiple Grand Canyon runs, even in the middle of the night, 3 days of back to back running at 11,500 in the majestic San Juan Mountains of Colorado, and a ridiculous 27 mile adventure smack dab in the middle of all of this.

There have been days of worrying about my body, weird aches and pains that would come and go.  Wondering who I would run with on a particular day, and even at times wondering why I was even doing this at all.

My family has been awesome during all of this as I got up and ran early almost every day during the kids summer break.  This journey has been selfish but rewarding.  Im not sure what I am going to do when the race is over, but its hard to just let it go when you have been living a lifestyle day after day for over 8 months.

The best part about this journey is the number of quality runners and friends that I have met during my training.  Flagstaff has a ridiculous amount of talented runners and being able to run with them, have a beer, and just enjoy hanging out has been incredible.

My coach Mike Smith who is also running TRR has been unbelievable.  There is not a nicer, more positive person that I would want to be involved with in this process.  When I was feeling good, he was pumping me up even more, when I was feeling down, he knew just what to say to help turn things around.

My wife Jen has been on countless training runs with me as she rides the bike and we get to spend time chatting.  She is going to be there all week volunteering at the finish line.  It will be great to see a smiling face at the end of each stage, not only for me but all the Flagstaff runners that will also be there.

My partner Joel and I are probably more compatible than any team that I have seen.  Our fitness, speed, style, and humor are all similar which will make for an epic adventure.

I have had crazy nerves the last couple of days but as Mike and Erin have told me, just "go out for a run for 6 days.  Its no different than the last 230 days you have been running".  I am more than prepared, I am not intimidated.

What more can you ask for than a fully supported camping trip with 20 of your closest friends that will be there when you are down, and also to celebrate when everything is good.

The training journey is over but the reward is about to begin.

maw

Friday, August 12, 2011

One Week To Go!

Have we really made it to the taper? Oh man, it feels so good to be at this point and injury-free! Mark and I have done it all, back to back to back long runs, steep ascents, steep descents, speed work, long miles.... we've run the Grand Canyon, a 30K in Malibu, some early miles in beautiful Sedona, miles and miles and miles of awesome trail around Flagstaff, and, recently, consecutive long runs above 11,000 feet around Silverton, CO. There really isn't anything we missed in our training. We're definitely coming to Trans Rockies as prepared as two middle-aged, middle packers can be. And we're healthy! No nagging injuries and no gaps in our training since the serious stuff began in late May, early June.

For our last high mileage week (80 freaking miles!) of training, Mark was really pushing for a road trip to Colorado so we could spend more time at higher altitude. While I was hesitant at first, I'm glad we made the trip. It was awesome. I felt like I was running just to run; and I took in everything, the wildflowers, the views, the trail. I think I've gotten to a point where running for hours just seems natural.

Heading back down to Ice Lake from Fuller Lake, @12,500'
Our first run was up to Ice Lake Basin. With over 5000 feet of climbing and access to several high alpine lakes, the run was incredible. Wildflowers were in abundance and we made the loop to check out Fuller, Ice, Island, and other unnamed lakes at over 12,500 feet.

View near the start of the Colorado Trail heading west from Molas Pass.
The next day we headed to Molas Pass where we hit the Colorado Trail for nearly 17 miles of running at about 11,500 feet. The elevation remained relatively constant, which was a delight after the steeps from the first day. It too was a beautiful trail. One I'd love to do again. Mountain vistas, waterfalls, and wildflowers gave this run something to focus on at every mile. I can't imagine it really gets any better than this portion of the Colorado Trail.



On the third run in Colorado and our final long run before Trans Rockies, Mark and I decided to try to soak in as much as we could by hitting two different trails that both started around Molas Pass. We first took the Colorado Trail east from the pass down to the start of some steep switchbacks. The view down the Animas River valley was spectacular from there. We then climbed back up to the pass and headed over to the Crater Lake Trail. Now, I've done the Crater Lake trail before as a backpack with my then 8-year-old son. So how hard could it be, right? Turns out that the run out to Crater Lake was a lot more difficult than I remembered. I found myself repeating at various times, "My 8-year-old did this?" The trail was a bit more technical than I remembered, and it climbed. It climbed a lot more than I remember. With the water on the trail, stream crossings, and rocky sections, the running was a challenge. But we made it to the lake, took in the view, and headed back. The run back was way easier as we made our descent to the trailhead. The mud didn't seem so muddy, the stream crossings were easier, and the rocky sections didn't seem so rocky. It was really just running with joy all the way back to where we started. This was it, these were the final miles of our "intensive" training for TR.

So now, here we are on our taper. I've got a trail half-marathon to run tomorrow and then nothing but easy miles until the start of TR on August 21st. The Colorado road trip was a great way to end the hard stuff and both Mark and I are absolutely certain that we're as ready as we can be for Trans Rockies.

-jea

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Training Is The Hardest Part

A friend of ours who has run TransRockies several times said last year, "The training is the hardest part..." when Mark and I were considering this epic race. The training has been hard, but it's lead to some really epic runs and opportunities to hang out with some great people. This past weekend was epic with back to back to back long runs, starting off with our moonlight run in the Grand Canyon down to the river and back. Mark's post describing our adventure was spot on. It was an amazing run and one I'm not so sure I would have tackled had I not been training for TransRockies. Our third long run of the weekend was also quite memorable for me. It's difficult to describe the feeling you get when running on a great mountain trail early in the morning, but I have to say I was feeling pretty lucky to live where I live and have that opportunity. As the the completion of that third long run in a row was nearing, I remember thinking how amazed I was that Mark and I were able to complete the week and the three challenging runs with no more damage than just run-of-the-mill fatigue. Mike Smith has mentioned from time to time that we've got to throw out the conventional wisdom about training, and that we would be surprised at what our bodies could handle, I guess I needed to see it for myself to actually believe him.

This past week of training, ending with the three long runs, leaves Mark and I feeling pretty good about our preparation for the race. We have no false sense of being finish leaders, but we now know that we can finish, and that will be a big accomplishment. There are still 4 weeks left in training and I'm sure we have another weekend of long runs just ahead, but is the training the hardest part? I guess we'll know soon enough.

-jea

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

What a weekend!

Joel and I are now in the final stages of training, which is also the most difficult.
This past weekend we spent running 3 consecutive long runs.  In the Transrockies circle this is known as the back to back to back.

We started with a trip to the Grand Canyon for a midnight full moon run from the rim down the S. Kaibab trail to the Colorado River, and back.  The moon could not have been any brighter.  We started down the trail at 1230 without our headlamps on and with our packs full of water and GU.  The descent was not as fast as we had planned due to the lack of shadows and having to be very careful of our footing.  We stopped a few times to take in the view as you could see the entire canyon lit up by the moon.  We reached the river at 215 am, refilled our water, and fueled up.  Temps were good, probably in the high 40s on the rim and close to 70 at the river.  Now the hard part begins.  Up we go.  I find it easiest to break the trail up into 4 sections.  The river to the Tipoff, the Tipoff to Skeleton Pt, Skeleton Pt to Cedar Ridge, and Cedar Ridge to the rim.  Each section has its fairly difficult ascents, especially from the river to the Tipoff and the brutal switchbacks, just before you get to Skeleton Pt.  We ascended slowly but steadily, running everything that was runnable.  As we neared the rim the first mule train was coming down so we took a refreshing break to let them pass before moving on.  Just as we reached the last set of switchbacks before the rim, the first hikers bus had arrived and a steady stream of headlamps came at us like Christmas lights.  At this point daylight was coming quickly.  We arrived at the rim at 445 am, jumped into Joel's van, and slept for a couple of hours.  Ahhh that sleeping bag felt good.  What a great start to a difficult weekend.

Day 2 we decided to let off of the hills and just go for a long run on the forest roads.  I knew this would be the toughest day for me as running 20 miles on a flat road would be more mentally taxing then physical.  Starting from Joel's house we proceeded out to the forest, starting on forest road 518, this was a gradual uphill for the first 8 miles or so.  Luckily there was cloud cover that kept it cool.  We passed a few places in the forest that a tornado had ripped through last fall.  It looked like someone had taken a huge lawn mower and cut the trees off about 15 feet from the ground.  Crazy the destruction.  We proceeded to forest road 171, then 222, and back to Joel's house.  Coming in at 20 miles and just over 3 hours, it was a relief to get this run out of the way and have plenty of time to recover for the final day.

Day 3 we met at the bottom of Snowbowl Road, where we would shuttle to the starting point of the Weatherford trailhead.  Another morning of cloud cover and everything was still wet from the rain the night before.  Heading up the Weatherford the first 1.5 miles or so is just a continuous grind, climbing 700+ feet.  My legs were on fire and the lungs were working overtime.  We help on though and were able to make it to the Kachina trail junction on the run.  Feeling good about this considering we had already run 35+ miles and climbed over 6500 feet the previous 2 days.  About a mile up the Kachina trail I was feeling my first stomach issue of the long training.  This would be something to work through considering we still had 14 miles to run and the possibility of this is great in the race.  Focusing on an awesome run across the Kachina trail through wet ferns, and lush forest, I kept concentrating on the run and not what was going on with my stomach.  We saw a herd of elk and a few deer along the way.  We arrived at the Snowbowl ski area about 1.5 hours into the run.  Knowing it was downhill back to the truck was a relief.  We were now going to explore the new Arizona trail.  Descending from Snowbowl, we ran through meadows, passing the protesters camped out, who are opposed to snowmaking.  We proceeded on the Arizona trail south, the new trail is amazing, smooth, and a fairly gradual descent.  We arrived at the small section of the trail that was not finished and proceeded to go cross country, following the marking flags of where the trail will be.  After about .75 miles we arrived at the other end of the trail which was also in primo condition.  Down we went through the forest.  We opened up at about 7800 feet, where the sun was out and it was getting warm.  We were making good time, and still running solid.  We arrived back at the truck in just under 3 hours.  No worse for the wear but still mentally and physically fatigued.

We accomplished a weekend where we would become better team mates and friends, working together to push forward, and overcome adversity when things got tough.  Our communication is great, and out team work is getting even better.  I feel that we are very close in our understanding of our abilities and where we will be in this race.  Our totals for the week were 51+ miles, 10.5 hours on feet, and over 8500+ feet of elevation gain.  This week focuses on turnover, and then one more very difficult week of training before tapering.  We are ready now but will be even more ready when race time comes.

mw

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

In The Thick Of It

Mark and I are in the middle of the toughest part of our training at this point. All the miles we've put in over the last several months are really paying off now, so we can focus on the key workouts. I ran nearly 70 miles last week and this week looks to be a bit more. A typical week consists of one interval workout, usually with hills, and two or three days of long runs. In between those are easy miles, just to keep the legs going. Today Mike tortured us on the dreadmill with hill repeats at 13 and 15 percent grade. I hate the treadmill, but I think it allows for consistency in elevation gain and in pace, which offers a quick measure of where we're at physically.


Overall, things are going very well. I ran the Kona Marathon a couple of weeks ago as a training run and was able to keep extremely even splits over the 26 miles. It's a very hot and humid race and my goal was mainly to feel good at the end. I really hadn't trained to race it. I finished in 3:45 and was happy with my performance. Even better, I was able to start running two days later and even finished a 23 mile long run with significant elevation gain just a week after the race. It really has amazed me what I can get my body to do. I never thought I was capable of running this much over such challenging terrain, but I think the fact that I started months ago and just kept slowly increasing the effort has allowed me to get where I'm at.

Not surprisingly, my body has been more tired recently and I'm becoming more aware of the importance of rest and nutrition. I've been able to squeeze in a few naps occasionally, but I'm probably not getting enough sleep overall. I'm not a big eater either, but I'm burning a shitload of calories. So I have to also get better at refueling properly. Randi, my wife, has been so supportive through all of this, but this month the burden on her has really increased now that I'm on the trail many more hours or having to spend time resting. I couldn't do this without her.

jea

Monday, July 4, 2011

And that's a stage

Joel and I embarked on a long run yesterday that will resemble one of the 3 longer stages of TR.  It began with a few sprinkles in the morning, we were hoping to avoid any severe storms while exposed as they were forecast.  We started a loop that would in the end be 23 miles and close to 5 hours of running.  Starting at the Schultz Tank trailhead at 8000 feet, then up the Weatherford trail to Doyle Saddle at 10800.  We continued up to the top near Humphreys Peak, topping out at 12012 feet and just under 10 miles before descending the next 13 miles back to start.

We encountered a lot of traffic on the Humphreys trail with the holiday weekend in full force.  We ended up making a pit stop at Snowbowl's Agassiz lodge to refill our water.  Once we were hydrated we motored down the Kachina trail which was a long homestretch back to start.  Refueling at the car with a recovery drink and thinking about the day, we realized we are ready for this 6 day adventure and just need to fine tune a few things.

Things stay on the crazy side this week with long back to back runs this weekend and a hill workout on Wednesday.  Only 6 more weeks and the race is on.

mw

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Getting Serious?

A lot of training, racing, and fun has occurred since my last post.  I entered 2 races, the first one was a 10K which I ran easy the first half and then put the gas on in the second half, and still knocked 2 minutes off of last years time.  I also entered a 15K and knocked 10 minutes off of last years time and was still recovering from a Grand Canyon run I did a few days before.  The fitness is paying off in many ways.

Weekly mileage is now creeping up into the mid 60s, with a variety of running including fartlek, threshold, and long runs.

I did a long back to back last week with no problems which means I am almost there.  This week Joel and I are finally on the same schedule so are planning a bunch of runs together.  We started with an awesome run this morning up Schultz Creek trail with Aaron, Eric, and Scott.  Tomorrow we are doing a trail fartlek, followed by a real easy 6 mile run with NATRA on Saturday, and then the biggy of the week is a 20 mile long loop over the San Francisco peaks, starting at 8000 feet, climbing to close to 12000 and then back to start.  This should be in the neighborhood of a 4 to 5 hour run and test our endurance.  Joel and I are coming together in our training both physically and mentally, which will make for an awesome week at TR.

I also took a trip to southwest Colorado to get some sustained running in above 10000 feet.  Based just out of Silverton, I ran an 8 mile easy run with 1500 feet of climbing, and then a 10 miler the next day with close to 3000 feet of climbing, its a whole different game when you are climbing above 11000 feet.





The vistas in that area are incredible and rejuvenated my running for the homestretch of training.

My oldest son went with me and allowed us some fun times, hiking, rock climbing, sitting in the hot springs, and the daily waffle cone.

I usually update Mike about my weekly progress, this last week I was at 61 miles and 9 hours of running, to which he replied "Great, now we can get started for real".  Yikes!  Except for the occasional solo long run, the training has been fun and I feel that I will be more than prepared for a great race.

mw

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Long, Long, Long Weekend

In more support of the notion that I finally have a handle on my knee problems, I finished my first back to back to back long run weekend. I started off with a very early 12 mile warm up on Friday so that I could get to work on time. Then Mark and I ran 15 pretty hard trail miles on Saturday. We ran into some friends at the top of Elden and shared some awesome miles before heading back to the trailhead. I followed that up with another 15 miles on Sunday, though those were much easier miles than our Saturday run.

I've been feeling pretty good, generally, and had no trouble psyching myself up for the weekend. I was looking forward to it. This weekend was about just experiencing what it's like to run on tired legs. I've got harder weekends ahead of me, but this was my first touch. In addition to the massage, stretching, and strengthening, I've really been focusing on how lucky I am to have this opportunity.... the power of positive thinking I guess. I'm just out there enjoying myself, soaking it all in.

Next up, I leave for Hawaii at the end of this week. In addition to simply enjoying my time in paradise, I've got my trail runs planned out. I'm also signed up for the Kona Marathon which happens to be taking place the last weekend of my vacation. How can I not run it? We'll see how I feel, though. I may drop to the half if it's not feeling right. I'll be in Hawaii for vacation and my first priority is relaxation. But then again, running is relaxing..... Aloha!

jea

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

It's About Time...

This post has been a long time coming. Every time I thought about sitting to write about my training, I just wanted to avoid the topic. My last post, back on April 9th, indicated that everything was going great, but that I was starting to experience some kind of knee problem. Well, I've basically spent the last month and half working it out. I've sought advice from peers and professionals, researched the interwebs, rested the knee for days, stretched, strengthened, and massaged. In the weeks that I've been trying to figure this out, I've come to the conclusion, with the help of my massage therapist, that I've got a joint problem, specifically at the Proximal Tibia-Fibular Joint.



But let's get back to early April....  I backed off my training right before the Sycamore Canyon 30K and wasn't really sure how that race was going to go. In fact, in the week leading up to the race Mark was suggesting that perhaps we don't even bother doing it. I had been looking forward to it all along and ultimately we decided to make a weekend out of it and race the 30K. It was a great weekend. I wasn't my strongest, but I felt like it really couldn't have gone much better for me. The knee wasn't a factor at all, and I started to get some of my confidence back. Mark and I had a great road trip. We stayed at my sister's place by the beach, enjoyed the race along the coastal hills of Malibu, and relaxed for a few days.

I had a little boost in my confidence after the 30K, but it quickly became apparent that I hadn't really fixed anything with my knee. I just rested it. The pressure I felt in the joint and the occasional pain continued. In light of the problem, I also started to question what to do next with my training. If I just upped my mileage again I feared that I would be right back where I was at the beginning of April. I knew I needed to make some kind of change.

I thought about seeing a doctor, maybe a physical therapist. I also continued to seek out articles on the web. After reading some stuff by John Ball, a chiropractor that marathon sensation Ryan Hall uses, I had a realization that I need to try to improve how I stretch and roll out my muscles. Ball talked about how some athletes are afraid to cause themselves pain at home, then they come into the office and expect him to do it. I took that as a prompt to get in there and do some deep tissue massage. One evening, I rolled the shit out of my leg. I felt a painful knot in my thigh, just to the outside and above my knee. So, I massaged that out with my thumbs. The next morning my whole thigh felt kind of bruised. But as the day wore on, I also felt a noticeable difference in my knee... less pressure and no pain. I went for a run that afternoon and felt really good. I got pretty excited at the prospect that I may have found something that could improve my condition.

At that point I decided I needed to find a local sports massage therapist and, after talking to some running friends, found Geoffrey Bishop. Geoffrey specializes in athletes and has worked with lots of elite runners. As we've worked together over the weeks, we pinpointed my problem to the tibia-fibular joint. I now feel like I've got a plan to help manage my problem. I regularly do some core strengthening, targeted stretching, and massage. I finally feel like I've got some direction in dealing with my knee. And this has freed me up to refocus on my TR training, too. I'm back to a regular training program and have steadily increased the frequency of my runs, and my mileage.

It probably doesn't come across in this post, but I've really felt like I've been on a roller coaster these past 6 weeks. I've done a lot of thinking about what I want out of this and how I'm going to get there. I've never lost sight of the fact that I will run TRR. That's never been in doubt. But I'm listening to my body more and relying less on rigidly sticking to some training plan. I'm trying to have more fun with this process because it's not just about running TransRockies, it's about getting there. I want to enjoy this part of it and not constantly stress over my weekly mileage. I love to run and I love to run on trails. If I'm just focused on the race, I'll miss all that I'm running by right now.

-jea

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Training Phase Two

Seems like phase 1 of training is long gone and the 30K seems like ages ago.  I am now in week 3 of my training with coach Mike Smith.  I am continuing with a lot of base training with workouts thrown in a couple of days a week.  Mike says we will get to specific TRR type of training in June.

So far everything feels great and even better than during the base training.  I am running about the same time and mileage that I was running at the end of the base training.  I am also adding some workouts to help with turnover.  Not being a runner until recently I am learning everything about it from cadence, pacing, and economy.

Mike wants me to have more than just two gears.  Right now its slow and fast.  He wants me to be able to understand where I am at with my body and how long I can hold a gear before I need to change.  This will be beneficial if we get to a stage where we have the opportunity to be successful and I can hold a higher level for a sustained period of time.

I am really having fun with this part of the training as it is something new and I enjoy the learning process.   I can already feel my body adapting to multiple gears and its becoming automatic now when running a tempo run, or intervals.

I am headed to Alaska for a week and am looking forward to some epic runs while there.  I am grateful to have a coach like Mike guiding me towards TRR.

maw

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Sycamore Canyon 30K, End Of Base Training, and a Team Weekend

Joel and I finished our base training this weekend with a 30K trail race in Sycamore Canyon, Malibu, California.  Joel's sister let us stay at her place in Manhattan Beach.  It was 2 blocks from the beach with an ocean view.  We left early Friday morning so that we could get a short run in before dinner.   The forecast for the race was Cloudy with some drizzle early, giving way to partly sunny in the afternoon and highs in the 60s.  We both polished off a huge plate of pasta, salad, and bread and called it an early night.

I woke up the next morning to clear skies, and mid 50s, little did I know this was going to be the start of a great day of running.  Had my morning coffee, oatmeal, and prepared electrolyte drinks for the race.  At this point I grabbed my Garmin which had been on the charger all night.  I noticed it hadn't charged at all and there was only 37% battery remaining.  I knew this would not get me through the race but remembered I had a charger in the car so it would be fine by the end of the drive.  Well the charger wasn't in the car, and at this point nothing I could do about it but try not to worry and just go race based on how I felt and not by looking at pace.  It was about an hour drive to Malibu so we headed out on the road around 6:45.

When we arrived, not a cloud in the sky and a cool breeze coming off the ocean.  The race was low key as all the runners kind of hung out until the race start.  The race consisted of 3 climbs, with 3 equivalent descents.  Each about 3 miles in length.  Not knowing what to expect our strategy was to treat this as a Transrockies training run.  We decided that the first climb should be real conservative to see what we had and then ramp up if needed, and if all was well for the last climb we could push it.  We started about a third of the way back in the starting pack.

The beginning of the race was about a mile of flat forest service road, which led to a single track and the first climb.  We started the climb and immediately knew that we should have been closer to the front.  We ended up in a run/walk situation for the next mile and passed only when it seemed like there was room.  One of the runners in front of me mentioned the course opened up to a fire road shortly and we would be able to stretch it out some.  Just before the fire road, there was an opening on the single track so I called out "on your left" and started the pass.  Little did I know there were cacti hiding off trail and I stuck a thistle in my foot that was about 3/4 inch long.  I had to run on the ball of my foot to the fire road, because of the pain.  Thinking I could just push through it I started the run up the road, but could not do it.  I ended up taking off my shoe and pulling it out.  I was wasting precious time and I could see Joel was ready to make up some time.

We headed up the road at a brisk pace and were making ground and passing quite a few people.  By the time we got to the next single track section we were only in a group with 3 other people, although the leaders were quite a bit in front of us.  We were not aiming to catch them.  We headed down the first 3 mile descent gradually picking up speed topping out at about 7:25 pace.  Before we knew it we were at the aid station.  We had already decided that we had enough fluid, food to not stop, so started the next climb which was more technical the first mile due to large rocks that we were either hopping or climbing.  At this point in the race we were about half way through and I was still feeling strong.  I heard my watch beep and it died, now I could really focus on how I felt, not knowing how fast we were going.  We ran in a line with a couple of the 50K racers on a flat stretch that went from ocean views, to mountain views and running through meadows.  We even saw a deer that wanted to run with us.  We kept a consistent pace through this stretch and on the descent back to the aid station.  I knew at this point I needed more fluid and food, so I ate a GU and filled my bottle.  I also soaked my head under the faucet to cool down. We only had one more climb and it was one we had already run down so knew what to expect the rest of the race.

Two of the 50K racers we had been running with left the aid station before Joel and I.  Once we started the last climb I was still feeling strong and felt I could push the uphill, not knowing who was in front of me but knowing we had a little bit of distance between us and the next 30K racers.  I passed one of the 50K runners in the first 5 minutes of the climb and eventually passed the 2nd a few minutes later.  I was just keeping a steady pace, knowing I didn't have much longer until the top, and then 2.7 miles to the finish, all downhill.  I had made 4 or 5 minutes on the 50K racers by the time I got to the top.  I then started the descent but this was much harder than I thought it was going to be, but I had to keep going.  I found a comfortable pace and just headed downhill.

At this point I had hot spots on my feet, my legs were fatigued, but nothing unexpected.  I pushed down the road and came across the water crossing, running swiftly through it and feeling the cool water on my hot feet, it felt great.  I knew I had about .5 miles to go to the finish so I kept the pace and crossed the finish line in 3:15:01, good enough for 2nd place in my age group.  It was a great feeling to be strong at the end of the race and know that the previous 4 months of training had paid off.  Joel came in a few minutes behind me looking strong.  It was a great day for the team.

We headed over to the ocean for a leg soak, and to relax before the drive back.  That night was a great mexican food dinner and some relaxation.

A short barefoot run on the strand the next day and all systems felt great.  We watched a bunch of hockey, had a few beers, ate well, and just enjoyed what we knew was the end of a lot of hard work and the beginning of more intense training.

If we progress like we did the first 4 months, we will have a great Transrockies race.

maw

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Running Towards Training

Well just a few more days until the Sycamore Canyon 30K. This will officially mark the end of my base training. I will have put in 775+ miles, 125+ hours, and over 52,000 feet of climbing since December 4 of last year when Joel and I took our first training run.

Today Jen and I did a 10 mile trail run on one of my favorites. Spring is in the air and it was pretty warm on the run. We saw butterflies, birds, and even a snake on the trail.

I ran my 5 mile hill climb on Wednesday starting out with a short 1 mile warmup. Then it was 5 miles uphill with an elevation gain of around 1800 feet. I was able to maintain a nice comfortable pace. Didn't look at my watch and then was able to step it up a bit for the last mile. I finished the 5 miles in just over 48 minutes. Mike said the fun part about this is that I will crush that time in a couple of months. I am running my tempo run on Tuesday. That may be a different story as I prefer to run in my comfort zone and not on the top end.

After the Sycamore Canyon race we are going to take about a week off with a couple short runs thrown in there. I am really looking forward to the time off but more looking forward to what Mike has in store for me. I am starting my "real" training May 1. Joel is going to wait until June as it will easier with his schedule.

Joel ran into a small speed bump in his training battling a knee issue but it's early and his base is very strong. With rest he will come back stronger than ever.

I never thought I would be able to stick to this base training but have done so and am very motivated to crush the next phase of training which should be lots of mountain runs, Grand Canyon runs, and even some runs high in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

Having Mike coach me through this phase will not only ensure my success but he is very motivating and positive as well. I feel very fortunate.

maw

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Mother F#@ker!

Mark and I are finishing up our base training and prepping for the Sycamore Canyon 30K in Santa Monica in a couple of weeks. Mark's running between 45 and 50 miles a week while, due to my work schedule, I've had to steal time just to get 45 miles in. Things couldn't have been going better, though. I've been enjoying the training and the focus on this race.

The day after my long run last week, however, I started feeling pain in my knee. I kind of panicked. I've felt this before, just before the Phoenix marathon in 2009. It sucks. An overuse injury just nags at you, but can become extremely painful if not attended to. I'm not sure if it's an IT band thing or what, but we had a scheduled meeting with our coach, Mike, so I took another day off and waited to talk to him about. Of course, Mike's perspective is no big deal. Take time off. Let the knee heal, we've got plenty of time and you don't want to have to keep dealing with this all through the summer. So here I am, taking it a little easier this week, scaling back the mileage. A late spring snowstorm is making it easier for me since it's difficult to go out running in 12 inches of snow anyway.

Mike's got a 5 mile hill run and a 2 mile tempo run planned for us next week so that he can get a measure of our fitness, then put together the plan that will take us to TR. Mark and I will run the 30K, take a few days off, then start the hard stuff.  I'm really excited about my running right now and see us performing well at Trans Rockies.

I was talking to our Gu rep about Trans Rockies and he said, "You're doing Trans Rockies? You're crazy!"
Now if the rep for an endurance nutrition product thinks Trans Rockies is crazy, it really does make me realize we're tackling a pretty big challenge.  I guess when you live in Flagstaff and your surrounded by professional runners and Olympians (not to mention several "recreational" runners in Flagstaff are sponsored by shoe companies) it's hard to measure your mere mortal accomplishments.

On a final note, congrats to Mike for coming in 2nd at the Chuckanut 50K. He was leading the course through 22 miles until the national ultra-running champion, Geoff Roes, edged him out to take the win. Both, Geoff and Mike broke the course record. An outstanding performance for Mike's first 50K. For you non-runners out there, Geoff Roes is a rockstar; the current Michael Jordan of trail running. I feel privileged to know Mike, let alone be coached by him.  -jea

Monday, March 21, 2011

Sunday Morning Long Run in the Grand Canyon

Awesome long run yesterday! Mark and I ran just over 16 miles down the South Kaibab Trail and up Bright Angel. What a privilege to live in Northern Arizona and have access to one of the greatest places on earth. It was a bit overcast and cool, perfect for running. The views were spectacular. We arrived at the park in time for the 7 am bus to the trailhead. As we took our first steps down the trail, I could feel my quads being shocked into arousal. After a mile or so I got into the groove and, aside from a few stops for pictures, it seemed that we were down at the Colorado River in no time. After a quick Gu and refill of the water bottle, we took our first steps toward gaining back the 5000+ feet we lost on the descent.

I was pleasantly surprised by our progress. We ran a majority of the trail, slowing down mostly during those high steps needed to get over the hundreds of waterbars on the trail. There were the 10 minutes or so that we were stuck behind a mule train on some of the most ideal running on the Bright Angel, just before Indian Gardens. But after cussing the donkeys and their riders, we passed them and were on our way up the last 4.5 miles of the trail. We were moving well until we got to those upper switch backs. We'd walk a section, then run the next, until we were about a half mile from the top. At that point we were able to run it in for the finish. Total run time: 3 hours, 38 minutes.

It was a great day. Neither of us have done a lot of hill work since last fall, so this was a good measure of our current level of conditioning. I'm pretty happy with where we're at right now. We haven't started working on serious elevation gains yet and I thought we handled yesterday pretty well. My muscles are feeling fatigued today, but not real sore; certainly not injured. I concentrated on my recovery efforts yesterday afternoon and am starting to get a feel for what I need to do. Success at Trans-Rockies really does have as much to do with recovery as it does with preparation for the actual running. We're at about 45 miles a week now so recovery, staying healthy is becoming a necessary focus of attention.  I'm looking forward to this final month of our base training before we start the hard stuff. The canyon run was just a taste of what's to come.    -jea

Monday, March 7, 2011

More mileage, more mileage, more mileage and cold water bath

A little over a month left before we start the "real" training.  The base running continues to stay on track, Joel and I are now up to 40 miles a week and I'm doing 7 hours.  Trail running was good in Flagstaff until we received a couple of feet of snow.  Joel and I have been splitting time between road runs and trail runs in Sedona and Phoenix.  Our long run is now up to 15 miles and holding.  We will be touching 18 miles sometime in the next few weeks.

We have settled on an end of base training run to separate this phase of our training and the next "much more difficult" phase.  We are going to be running the Sycamore Canyon 30K in Malibu, CA, near the end of April.  Its a run that will be similar to something we might see in Trans Rockies without the altitude issues.

Had my first experience of taking a cold water bath after a long run yesterday.  I ran 145 minutes exclusively on roads which took its toll on my hamstrings and hip flexors.  Ran the bath and soaked for 10 minutes.  It was so cold I almost couldn't stay in it.  But I am now a believer because my muscles feel pretty good this morning.

I feel much stronger and even a little faster than when we started this training in December.  Some of the runs I did early I now do faster and with less fatigue.  I think we are headed down the right path and training safely.

maw

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Progress....

It's been about two months since the official start of our base training and we're moving forward. I'm only running about 35 miles a week this month, but I'm running more frequently than before. I feel stronger. My body seems to be responding better and, best of all, I remain injury free. Snow is melting and the trails around Flagstaff are beginning to open up a bit.

Mark and I met with Mike Smith again yesterday, to plan out the remainder of our base period, and its given me a pretty clear idea of where we're heading. We'll start ramping up the long run in a month or so, but we're on the right track. We'll probably through in a run into the Grand Canyon next month as we start to find some training runs that mimic the effort we'll need for TRR. By the time we're ready to start the "real" training I'll be at around 50 miles a week. Mike suggested we plan an epic run or race toward the end of April and then take a few days off to mark the end of our base training. It's a great idea and gives us something to look forward to in the near term.

I have to say that I've really been enjoying this part of the training. We've been running in snow and mud and sunshine. It's great to find some dry trail, but I'm embracing all of it. Coming back a little muddy or windburned or cold just makes you feel alive. With my work and family life it's sometimes hard to fit in my next run, but I always look forward to it!       -jea

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Marathon Support. Running by time. Is it good?

I spent the weekend in Phoenix with Jen as she has been training to do the PF Chang's Marathon since September.  She was fully dedicated to her training schedule and followed it exactly.  A friend of mine provided a suite for us down there so she could relax.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect.  A few clouds in the morning to keep things cool, then sunny and warm at the finish.  Everything went according to plan and she beat her goal time by 7 minutes with no injuries, sickness, etc.  I am very proud of her, this is a major accomplishment.  Now she can start running again for fun.  Do people do that?

As for Joel and I.

Joel and I have been following the same training schedule since December now.  I am actually running by time on my feet, where Joel has been putting in miles.  I decided to go with time so that if I had a bad day it wouldn't matter if I got 5 miles in an hour or 7, but still got the hour in.

So far its been working out pretty good although I based the training on 10 min per mile pace which I would be a worse case scenario in training.

Through the first whole month of training I'm doing closer to 9 min per mile pace which leads to more miles over time spent.  Now I'm wondering if this is a good thing.  I've always had this persistent tightness in my right hamstring.  Maybe one of my legs is shorter than the other who knows.  But it seems to always get noticeable after about an hour.  Wonder how its going to feel after 4 hours everyday for 6 days.  Hmm...

Joel and I have been trying to run together 1 or 2 times a week which allows us to share how the training is going, what old man body parts are acting up, and life in general.  I've really been enjoying that time as it makes the run go by in no time at all.

P.S.  Ran this morning and actually had to take gloves and hat off, it was too warm.  Is it really still January?

Im seeing a Physical Therapist friend tomorrow to go over that nagging hammie.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Increasing The Mileage....

January marks the first month of our slow increase in mileage. Our goal this month is just 30 miles per week. It's not a great challenge just yet, but I always find it difficult to squeeze miles in during winter. I'm only running 4 days a week at this point and the mild increase in mileage hasn't been too hard to maintain. I've tried to keep it slow most of the time and that has really made the running pretty enjoyable. Once the running club starts up again here soon, though, it may be tempting to slip in some speed work once a week.

Today Mark and I "ran" a 10k snowshoe race. I snowshoe quite a bit, but I've never tried to run much while doing it. It was a beautiful crisp sunny day for a run at the Flagstaff Nordic Center, but I hadn't anticipated how hard it would be. Foolishly, I thought we'd be running on the groomed trails. Instead, the hilly course followed a backcountry snowshoe trail. I brought my MSR Denali Hikers, but the good folks at Kahtoola let me demo their running snowshoes. They're nice and light, a bit smaller than my MSRs, and there was absolutely no movement of my running shoe in the snowshoe. Take a look at the Kahtoola RNR22 Snowshoe, they're pretty slick.

I learned today that a snowshoe run generally adds about 30% more effort than a typical run without snowshoes. However, the same individual estimated that today's snow conditions likely added roughly 40 to 50% more effort. It was a slog in somewhat unstable snow, roughly 2 feet deep. Our finish time was about twice what we normally finish on a 10k trail race. The race was a great workout by itself, but since I usually do my long runs on Sunday, I put in 5 miles just before it started. You'd think I'd regret that decision, and I probably should, but I got a lot of time on my feet today and I'm actually feeling pretty good.

-jea