Boise State among NCAA schools out to block scholarship change - Andy Staples - SI.com
This article hits on a key aspect of what is wrong with the illusion of "amateur" and the "student-athlete." Staples makes a good point about the schools themselves contributing to the problem, along with the outdated and draconian rules of the NCAA (a "governing" body that has become very similar to the old AAU, an administration the NCAA originally fought against). The schools can, in essence, hold student-athletes hostage by denying release requests, even going over the head of the supposed governing body, the NCAA.
I had something similar happen to me. I initially signed a National Letter of Intent for a track scholarship as a 17-year-old high school senior with a small Div. II school. After a year, I came to the conclusion that the school, both athletically and academically, was not a good fit for me, so I chose to transfer to the University of Wyoming. While I had no issue with being accepted to the university and transferring my credits, I ran into a problem with being released athletically from the Div. II school.
Now, while student-athletes are required to sit out a year of eligibility when transferring between schools in the same division, that is not a requirement when transferring between divisions (i.e. transferring from Div. II to Div. I). I contacted the head track coach and athletic director of the Div. II school, told them my plans to transfer and reasons for doing so, and asked to be released from my NLI with them. I was assured that this would not be an issue, so I went home for the summer and didn't think much of it.
However, after a month of not hearing anything, I decided to check in and see what was the hold up (I had called Coach Sanchez that summer and was quickly told that he couldn't talk to me since I was, as he succinctly and accurately put it, "someone else's property"). When I called the athletic offices of the Div. II school, I was met with a run-around and told that the AD was gone on vacation. Time was an issue here; since I was attempting to walk-on at Wyoming (I remained a walk-on my entire career at UW), and Coach Sanchez was hamstrung by severely limited roster spots on the cross-country team thanks to UW's application of Title IX rules (that's a rant for another day), I was desperate to get my name on his roster list before he turned it in to the athletic department at the start of the season. Once the list was turned in and the roster spots filled, no one could be added thereafter.
The Div. II school did not release me until a week before school started at Wyoming that fall semester. I have no idea why they sat on that release form for months on end, and I was never given an explanation. It seemed to me that they did it simply because they could. And yes, some would argue that since I had, in definition, signed a contract with the school who in turn paid the majority of my tuition that year, it was dishonest of me to quit after one year. But I didn't quit; I continued to go school and eventually earned a degree in a subject not offered at the Div. II school (a core point in the NCAA grad school exception). And I fulfilled my one-year obligation considering scholarships are renewed on a yearly basis. In the end, I was forced to sit out one year anyway since by the time I was finally granted my release, the UW team had already started its season. I burned a year of eligibility because someone in the athletic department at the Div. II school either wanted to stick it to me for some unbeknownst personal reason, or because someone couldn't be bothered to sign a form and file it in a timely manner.
This is a problem. College athletics are so concerned with the money grab that common decency and common sense are being ignored. Yes, athletes on full-ride scholarships do not have to pay for school, but as is currently being addressed, those scholarships cover only tuition and fees, not cost of living. I can assure you that between a full credit load, studying, practice, travelling to meets, etc., I did not have much time for a job. I had some help from academic scholarships, but most of my college bill (primarily cost of living) was paid with student loans. And trust me, I am not the only student-athlete for whom this was an issue.
I'm not comfortable with the pay-for-play idea because it favors only a select group of individuals (football and basketball players). Yes, I know those sports make money, and my sport does not, but my sport also boasts higher graduation rates (figures from when I was in college, having enrolled in 2001) and cumulative team GPAs (the 2000-2001 UW men's XC team was awarded Academic All-American honors with a cumulative team GPA of 3.78). Obviously, there needs to be a greater emphasis on graduating and actually earning a college degree. That is made more difficult when student-athletes from under-privledged backgrounds, primarily football and basketball players, can't accept money for food because they would then be accepting a "gift" and thus deemed ineligible by the NCAA, or that a scholarship is not tied so much to performance (I do believe that there should be performance-based incentive for an athletic scholarship, sorry) but whether or not the school decides to renew it from year to year. And as stated in the linked article, a new coach can come in and essentially clean house, discarding players that may not fit their particular scheme. What happens to those student-athletes? They can transfer, but always run the risk of dealing with what I dealt with and with what Todd O'Brien is currently dealing with. And there isn't a damn thing the student-athlete can do to stop them.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Gregory Alan Isakov That Moon Song
I've been on a weird, acoustic, indie kick lately. Might have something to do with my mood of late. This comes courtesy of Alec Muthig, who introduced me to Isakov. Again, lyrically, I'm digging what he has to say.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Week Ending Dec. 18 and the New Mexico Bowl
I had a short and busy week. The first half provided me with some decent, though short, runs, and the latter half saw me get zero runs. That's what happens when you spend 16-17 hours in the car during a 40 hour period. My dad and I road tripped down to Albuquerque to watch the Pokes take on Temple in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday. Unfortunately, the only people from Wyoming that showed up were the fans. The football team did a good job of not doing anything well. A 37-15 defeat after what was the best season the Pokes have had in over a decade was a let down, but I suppose that this was a team that was a little ahead of schedule, is young, and will hopefully continue to improve on the strides made this season. And regardless of the outcome, it was really fun to do something silly like drive all that way to spend about 24 hours in Albuquerque, watch a football game, and head home.
Other things are going well. I'm excited about prospects in life. I think everything will be gravy. Finally.
Mon. Dec. 12 - 4 miles in 31 min (7:45 pace). I was pretty whooped after my tough weekend. Run in the dark on the Greenbelt after work just to get something in.
Tues. Dec. 13 - A.M. 3 miles in 22 min (7:19 pace). Quick morning to complement my planned snowshoe run up at Happy Jack after work.
P.M. - 5 miles in 65 min (13:00). Rachel and I went up to the trails for some early evening fun. She skied while I snowshoed. It was an absolutely perfect night weather-wise. No wind, fairly warm ambient temps, and just enough moon to negate the need for a headlamp. Beautiful evening. Had I had my camping gear in the truck, I may very well have stayed out there that night.
Wed. Dec. 14 - 4 miles in 26:55 (6:43 pace). I got out after work for a quick run on the Greenbelt. I was feeling pretty good, so I dropped the pace a little.
After that, I didn't run again. Thursday was spent working, doing laundry, and packing for the trip. I left Laramie a little after 6am Friday, met up with my dad in Cheyenne, and hopped in his truck for the haul down to Albuquerque. We got there at around 3:30pm, picked up our tickets, checked into the motel, and grabbed some dinner. Game started at noon Saturday, we got out of Albuquerque around 3:30, and made it back to Cheyenne at midnight on the dot. Very quick trip. I spent today sleeping in, eating a huge breakfast, attempting to finish off my Christmas shopping (I failed), and then watched all the football teams I follow lose (first the Pokes, then the Packers, Vikings, and now the Broncos, who are in the process of losing). Oh well. I'll get back on the horse this week before I eat too much over Christmas. Ah, the holidays!
Totals:
Week's Miles: 16
Running Time: 2:24
Year to Date: 1521
Other things are going well. I'm excited about prospects in life. I think everything will be gravy. Finally.
Mon. Dec. 12 - 4 miles in 31 min (7:45 pace). I was pretty whooped after my tough weekend. Run in the dark on the Greenbelt after work just to get something in.
Tues. Dec. 13 - A.M. 3 miles in 22 min (7:19 pace). Quick morning to complement my planned snowshoe run up at Happy Jack after work.
P.M. - 5 miles in 65 min (13:00). Rachel and I went up to the trails for some early evening fun. She skied while I snowshoed. It was an absolutely perfect night weather-wise. No wind, fairly warm ambient temps, and just enough moon to negate the need for a headlamp. Beautiful evening. Had I had my camping gear in the truck, I may very well have stayed out there that night.
Wed. Dec. 14 - 4 miles in 26:55 (6:43 pace). I got out after work for a quick run on the Greenbelt. I was feeling pretty good, so I dropped the pace a little.
After that, I didn't run again. Thursday was spent working, doing laundry, and packing for the trip. I left Laramie a little after 6am Friday, met up with my dad in Cheyenne, and hopped in his truck for the haul down to Albuquerque. We got there at around 3:30pm, picked up our tickets, checked into the motel, and grabbed some dinner. Game started at noon Saturday, we got out of Albuquerque around 3:30, and made it back to Cheyenne at midnight on the dot. Very quick trip. I spent today sleeping in, eating a huge breakfast, attempting to finish off my Christmas shopping (I failed), and then watched all the football teams I follow lose (first the Pokes, then the Packers, Vikings, and now the Broncos, who are in the process of losing). Oh well. I'll get back on the horse this week before I eat too much over Christmas. Ah, the holidays!
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| Tailgating before the game. Crowd was predominately Brown & Gold. |
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| The Pokes warm up. This was the best they looked all afternoon. |
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| University Stadium, University of New Mexico. |
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| The Pokes come out to the field. And then disappeared. |
Week's Miles: 16
Running Time: 2:24
Year to Date: 1521
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Long Time, No Posting...
November has come and gone. December is nearly halfway through, and I haven't said anything here in over a month. Guess what? I haven't done a whole lot in the last month, running-wise anyway. The winter cold and doldrums have set in on the high plains, and I am just this past week altering my attitude to accommodate the atmospheric change. While running in town on frozen pavement in zero degree temps blows, there are alternatives in which one can partake. I have decided to change my focus to more snow and winter related activities. More snowshoe runs, more trudging; getting prepared for the Snowy Range Snowshoe Races and the Twin Mountain Trudge.
I'm also trying to streamline things a bit. That has been a concern/obsession for some time. What do I really need, both metaphysically and materially? I'm interested in keeping only the material things I need. I'm focused on ridding myself of excess emotional baggage. There is no reason to be so stressed out about what others do or do not do. Not my problem.
With that, I am moving forward and onward. I got a new position at work beginning in January that I'm excited about, I had a great time over Thanksgiving with the two best friends a dude could possibly have, and I've been hanging out with some new friends that have brought me quite a bit of fun.
Week Ending Nov. 20
Tues. Nov. 15 - 7 miles in 48 min (6:51 pace). Post-work run on the Greenbelt in somewhat dying wind. I ran into Horsecow a couple miles in and cruised with him for the rest of my run. Saw Fuller out and about as well. Great minds think alike.
Wed. Nov. 16 - 6.5 miles in 48 min (7:19 pace). Cottonwood Estates loop. Another chilly, windy late afternoon run. Legs were pretty sore.
Fri. Nov. 18 - 5.5 miles in 38 min (6:54 pace). I ran to the fieldhouse, did some form drills (high knees, butt kicks, side bounds, karioka), then 8x180m laps with half lap jog recovery. Hit the one-lappers in 34 sec with number seven in 32 and number eight in 29. Half lap jog rests are in same time as the one-lap pick-ups. I found that it felt pretty damn good to run a little fast. I sometimes miss the track.
Sun. Nov. 20 - 11 miles in 101 min (9:10 pace). Ran a Trudge loop with Horsecow and Rachel on what turned into a beautiful day in the mountains. Felt pretty good on the run. First time with my pack in awhile. Figured I'd start humping it along to get used to it again since I plan to have it with me on my planned double-loop come race day.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 30
Running Time: 3:55
Week Ending Nov. 27
Mon. Nov. 21 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:24 pace). Quick run to work out some kinks left from the Trudge loop the day before.
Tues. Nov. 22 - 6.5 miles in 49 min (7:28 pace). Met Horsecow at 6am for a relaxed run around town. Very nice to get it over and done with.
Thurs. Nov. 24 - 8.5 miles in 60 min (7:00 pace). I flew down to Tempe, AZ with Lunde to hang out with Bret over Thanksgiving weekend. I wanted to hang out with my buddies, drink beer, enjoy some warm weather (averaged a beautiful 75 while we were there), and get in a few desert trail runs. In that respect, the trip was very successful. Bret dropped me off at South Mountain where I did my best not to get run over by mountain bikers and did a simple out-and-back on the Desert Classic trail. Felt great to run in shorts and on dry trails. After, we ate a hearty Thanksgiving dinner at Scott and Tanya's. Good day.
Sat. Nov. 26 - 6 miles in 44 min (7:19 pace). I did a late afternoon run around the Arizona State campus, including a scaling of "A" Mountain.
Sun Nov. 27 - 12 miles in 88 min (7:19 pace). Bret and Lunde dropped me off on the Hawes trails north of Mesa while they went to Franklin Field to look at airplanes. I had a wonderful time traversing some pretty awesome single track desert trails. Got a little warm; I have been running in Laramie after all, but otherwise I felt awesome.
Totals: Week's Miles: 37
Running Time: 4:31
Week Ending Dec. 4
Tues. Nov. 29 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:00 pace). Quick post-work run on the Greenbelt in the dark. Missing AZ. Not much fun.
Wed. Nov. 30 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:00 pace). Same as yesterday but in the opposite direction. Not much in the way of motivation.
November Miles: 140
Year to Date: 1453
I decided to spend my Thursday building a gear room. I was inspired by the beauty and functionality of the gear room Bret and Jannel had at their house in Tempe. I've had this spare bedroom that I haven't done anything with; I figured using it as a large closet in which to organize and store my running/camping/biking/guitar gear would be perfect. Thus, I created a gear room.
Fri. Dec. 2 - 10 miles in 123 min (12:18 pace). I went trudging up at Happy Jack. I wanted to do the Silent Trails course, but I lost the trail half-way up the Bitch and decided that with the falling temps and setting sun, I wasn't interested in wandering around the mountainside route finding. Hence, I turned around and went back. I also threw on my Kahtoola microspikes for the second half and holy cow, did they make a difference. They may have just revolutionized they way I run/train in the winter.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 18
Running Time: 2:59
Week Ending Dec. 11
Mon. Dec. 5 - 3 miles in 22 min (7:19 pace). We had a Canadian cold front come down through the basin over the weekend, sending the temps down below zero. I chose to go out for a run after work, in the dark, with the temp being 10 below. I ran the first mile with my hands in my pants since they were frozen from the moment I stepped out my door. After 20 minutes, I decided I'd had enough of this shit and called it. I am turning into a sissy-la-la in my old age.
Wed. Dec. 7 - 8 miles in 68 min (8:30 pace). I got a message from Rachel wanting to know if I would be interested in a run. Of course! I hadn't put in a lot of miles the last week or two, and I can tell that it was affecting my mood. I'm glad she got me outside. It warmed up to 34 today and it was one of those runs that two steps in, I immediately felt better about everything in general.
Thurs. Dec. 8 - 5.5 miles in 47 min (8:32 pace). My first snowshoe run in forever. I hit up Headquarters and Summit as the sun was setting and a nearly full moon was rising. No need for a headlamp tonight! Got my butt kicked a little; my calves have some acclimating to do with the snowshoes, but it's nice to get up top and out of town.
Fri. Dec. 9 - 5.5 miles in 40 min (7:16 pace). Morning form workout at the fieldhouse. I was a little sore from the snowshoes last night, but once I got into the one-lappers, I got most of the kinks worked out. Form drills (high knees, butt kicks, side bounds, karioka) and 8x180m laps with half lap rest in same time as one laps. Averaged 34-35 on the first seven and then finished number eight in 29 just for fun.
Sat. Dec. 10 - 9 miles in 97 min (10:46 pace). Elizabeth and I went up to the Snowies to enjoy some awesome weather. I dropped her off at the ski area and continued up the hill to the Green Rock trailhead to snowshoe run. Had a good time stomping around Barber Lake Road and Libby Creek trail. Finished up, picked up Elizabeth and stopped at the Bear Tree for their famous pizza and a nice, cold PBR.
Sun. Dec. 11 - 11 miles in 152 min (13:49 pace). I was maybe a little over-ambitious when I thought combining a long snowshoe run with a Trudge loop in one weekend was a good idea, but I got it done. The Trudge loop has quite a bit more snow on it than three weeks ago and I was pretty cooked from the run the day before. I was out there a little longer than I had anticipated, but it was another beautiful day, so in the end, I didn't mind. Pretty decent training week.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 42
Running Time: 7:06
December Miles: 52
Year to Date: 1505
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (355 miles), Saucony Peregrine (109 miles)
I'm also trying to streamline things a bit. That has been a concern/obsession for some time. What do I really need, both metaphysically and materially? I'm interested in keeping only the material things I need. I'm focused on ridding myself of excess emotional baggage. There is no reason to be so stressed out about what others do or do not do. Not my problem.
With that, I am moving forward and onward. I got a new position at work beginning in January that I'm excited about, I had a great time over Thanksgiving with the two best friends a dude could possibly have, and I've been hanging out with some new friends that have brought me quite a bit of fun.
Week Ending Nov. 20
Tues. Nov. 15 - 7 miles in 48 min (6:51 pace). Post-work run on the Greenbelt in somewhat dying wind. I ran into Horsecow a couple miles in and cruised with him for the rest of my run. Saw Fuller out and about as well. Great minds think alike.
Wed. Nov. 16 - 6.5 miles in 48 min (7:19 pace). Cottonwood Estates loop. Another chilly, windy late afternoon run. Legs were pretty sore.
Fri. Nov. 18 - 5.5 miles in 38 min (6:54 pace). I ran to the fieldhouse, did some form drills (high knees, butt kicks, side bounds, karioka), then 8x180m laps with half lap jog recovery. Hit the one-lappers in 34 sec with number seven in 32 and number eight in 29. Half lap jog rests are in same time as the one-lap pick-ups. I found that it felt pretty damn good to run a little fast. I sometimes miss the track.
Sun. Nov. 20 - 11 miles in 101 min (9:10 pace). Ran a Trudge loop with Horsecow and Rachel on what turned into a beautiful day in the mountains. Felt pretty good on the run. First time with my pack in awhile. Figured I'd start humping it along to get used to it again since I plan to have it with me on my planned double-loop come race day.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 30
Running Time: 3:55
Week Ending Nov. 27
Mon. Nov. 21 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:24 pace). Quick run to work out some kinks left from the Trudge loop the day before.
Tues. Nov. 22 - 6.5 miles in 49 min (7:28 pace). Met Horsecow at 6am for a relaxed run around town. Very nice to get it over and done with.
Thurs. Nov. 24 - 8.5 miles in 60 min (7:00 pace). I flew down to Tempe, AZ with Lunde to hang out with Bret over Thanksgiving weekend. I wanted to hang out with my buddies, drink beer, enjoy some warm weather (averaged a beautiful 75 while we were there), and get in a few desert trail runs. In that respect, the trip was very successful. Bret dropped me off at South Mountain where I did my best not to get run over by mountain bikers and did a simple out-and-back on the Desert Classic trail. Felt great to run in shorts and on dry trails. After, we ate a hearty Thanksgiving dinner at Scott and Tanya's. Good day.
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| Scott and Lunde, pre-Thanksgiving drinking. Photo: Bret Waldron. |
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| After 3.5 years, I found Croatian beer. In an Asian market. In Tempe, AZ. Worth it. |
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| Lunde relaxes the right way. Photo: Bret Waldron. |
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| Brian and me, rocking some beards and drinking some beers. Photo: Bret Waldron. |
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| Outside Sedona, AZ. Enjoying some scenery. |
Sat. Nov. 26 - 6 miles in 44 min (7:19 pace). I did a late afternoon run around the Arizona State campus, including a scaling of "A" Mountain.
Sun Nov. 27 - 12 miles in 88 min (7:19 pace). Bret and Lunde dropped me off on the Hawes trails north of Mesa while they went to Franklin Field to look at airplanes. I had a wonderful time traversing some pretty awesome single track desert trails. Got a little warm; I have been running in Laramie after all, but otherwise I felt awesome.
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| Hawes Trails, North Mesa, AZ. Awesome. Photo: Bret Waldron |
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| Back on the patio, drinking more beer, enjoying more fantastic weather, and bonding with Sara the dog. Photo: Bret Waldron. |
Running Time: 4:31
Week Ending Dec. 4
Tues. Nov. 29 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:00 pace). Quick post-work run on the Greenbelt in the dark. Missing AZ. Not much fun.
Wed. Nov. 30 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:00 pace). Same as yesterday but in the opposite direction. Not much in the way of motivation.
November Miles: 140
Year to Date: 1453
I decided to spend my Thursday building a gear room. I was inspired by the beauty and functionality of the gear room Bret and Jannel had at their house in Tempe. I've had this spare bedroom that I haven't done anything with; I figured using it as a large closet in which to organize and store my running/camping/biking/guitar gear would be perfect. Thus, I created a gear room.
Fri. Dec. 2 - 10 miles in 123 min (12:18 pace). I went trudging up at Happy Jack. I wanted to do the Silent Trails course, but I lost the trail half-way up the Bitch and decided that with the falling temps and setting sun, I wasn't interested in wandering around the mountainside route finding. Hence, I turned around and went back. I also threw on my Kahtoola microspikes for the second half and holy cow, did they make a difference. They may have just revolutionized they way I run/train in the winter.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 18
Running Time: 2:59
Week Ending Dec. 11
Mon. Dec. 5 - 3 miles in 22 min (7:19 pace). We had a Canadian cold front come down through the basin over the weekend, sending the temps down below zero. I chose to go out for a run after work, in the dark, with the temp being 10 below. I ran the first mile with my hands in my pants since they were frozen from the moment I stepped out my door. After 20 minutes, I decided I'd had enough of this shit and called it. I am turning into a sissy-la-la in my old age.
Wed. Dec. 7 - 8 miles in 68 min (8:30 pace). I got a message from Rachel wanting to know if I would be interested in a run. Of course! I hadn't put in a lot of miles the last week or two, and I can tell that it was affecting my mood. I'm glad she got me outside. It warmed up to 34 today and it was one of those runs that two steps in, I immediately felt better about everything in general.
Thurs. Dec. 8 - 5.5 miles in 47 min (8:32 pace). My first snowshoe run in forever. I hit up Headquarters and Summit as the sun was setting and a nearly full moon was rising. No need for a headlamp tonight! Got my butt kicked a little; my calves have some acclimating to do with the snowshoes, but it's nice to get up top and out of town.
Fri. Dec. 9 - 5.5 miles in 40 min (7:16 pace). Morning form workout at the fieldhouse. I was a little sore from the snowshoes last night, but once I got into the one-lappers, I got most of the kinks worked out. Form drills (high knees, butt kicks, side bounds, karioka) and 8x180m laps with half lap rest in same time as one laps. Averaged 34-35 on the first seven and then finished number eight in 29 just for fun.
Sat. Dec. 10 - 9 miles in 97 min (10:46 pace). Elizabeth and I went up to the Snowies to enjoy some awesome weather. I dropped her off at the ski area and continued up the hill to the Green Rock trailhead to snowshoe run. Had a good time stomping around Barber Lake Road and Libby Creek trail. Finished up, picked up Elizabeth and stopped at the Bear Tree for their famous pizza and a nice, cold PBR.
Sun. Dec. 11 - 11 miles in 152 min (13:49 pace). I was maybe a little over-ambitious when I thought combining a long snowshoe run with a Trudge loop in one weekend was a good idea, but I got it done. The Trudge loop has quite a bit more snow on it than three weeks ago and I was pretty cooked from the run the day before. I was out there a little longer than I had anticipated, but it was another beautiful day, so in the end, I didn't mind. Pretty decent training week.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 42
Running Time: 7:06
December Miles: 52
Year to Date: 1505
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (355 miles), Saucony Peregrine (109 miles)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Nine Inch Nails (NIN) - Zoo Station (U2 Cover)
This week's song (not sure if this is a new, recurring theme or not) is this sweet cover of U2's Zoo Station Mr. Reznor. I've been a huge NIN fan since I was pretty little (I was 11 or 12 when I bought Pretty Hate Machine), and I have been missing it a little since Reznor but NIN on hiatus. This helps.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Week Ending Nov. 13
Surprise! Another sub-par week thanks to my laziness. I have been on edge the last week or so; I have no patience (even less than usual) and am quick to get frustrated and lose my temper. I have also been extremely tired thanks to a couple of late nights and this strange ability to not get completely rested off nine or ten hours of sleep. The majority of the weekend found me on my couch, shivering and feeling terrible. I have felt better so far this week, but I was out of it Sunday.
The famous Wyoming wind made a return this weekend, and with a vengeance. It has been howling for four straight days, and I mean howling. Everything outside my house has been blown over, to include garbage cans, my grill, and all my weighted down patio furniture. The windows in my old house are terrible and they provide little in the way of a barrier between inside and the cold. I have a feeling I am not going to enjoy my gas bill next month.
My objective this week is to relax a little, run a little more, pray the wind calms down (seriously, I'm talking gusts up to 90mph), and really get into my thesis. Yes, I have done the impossible; I actually started the damn thing.
Mon. Nov. 7 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:30 pace). Quick run after work just to get something done. Followed it with a lengthy core routine.
Tues. Nov. 8 - 6.5 miles in 47 min (7:10 pace). A little "North Laramie" loop on a brisk morning. I have been enjoying the time change that is bringing me sunlight at 6:30am.
Wed. Nov. 9 - 8 miles in 56 min (7:00 pace). Another brisk morning, but things were clicking well. First run that I have felt good on in over a week.
Fri. Nov. 11 - 6.5 miles in 44 min (6:46 pace). One of those runs where I had no motivation, but forced myself outside, and then it turned into a great run. I really like it when that happens. 20 minutes in I was feeling so good that I kicked the pace down to 6-flat or better for a couple of miles. Impromptu tempo run...nice!
Sat. Nov. 12 - 11 miles in 108 min (9:49 pace). WARTs run around Turtle Rock at Vedauwoo. First day of the voracious winds. In the trees on the trail the wind wasn't too bad, but up on top it was ridiculous. I did three loops around Turtle Rock with Alec, Daniel, and Rachel. Really good time. Potluck that night was delicious.
Too bad I spent the rest of the weekend on my butt feeling miserable. But, if nothing else, I got up Saturday and got in the long run. The same can't be said for Horsecow, who was "incapacitated." Hope his "Beat Ragan at Pilot Hill 2012" training is going well. He's going to need it. HA!
Totals:
Week's Miles: 36
Running Time: 4:45
November's Miles: 65
Year to Date: 1378
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (299 miles) Saucony Peregrine (53 miles)
The famous Wyoming wind made a return this weekend, and with a vengeance. It has been howling for four straight days, and I mean howling. Everything outside my house has been blown over, to include garbage cans, my grill, and all my weighted down patio furniture. The windows in my old house are terrible and they provide little in the way of a barrier between inside and the cold. I have a feeling I am not going to enjoy my gas bill next month.
My objective this week is to relax a little, run a little more, pray the wind calms down (seriously, I'm talking gusts up to 90mph), and really get into my thesis. Yes, I have done the impossible; I actually started the damn thing.
Mon. Nov. 7 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:30 pace). Quick run after work just to get something done. Followed it with a lengthy core routine.
Tues. Nov. 8 - 6.5 miles in 47 min (7:10 pace). A little "North Laramie" loop on a brisk morning. I have been enjoying the time change that is bringing me sunlight at 6:30am.
Wed. Nov. 9 - 8 miles in 56 min (7:00 pace). Another brisk morning, but things were clicking well. First run that I have felt good on in over a week.
Fri. Nov. 11 - 6.5 miles in 44 min (6:46 pace). One of those runs where I had no motivation, but forced myself outside, and then it turned into a great run. I really like it when that happens. 20 minutes in I was feeling so good that I kicked the pace down to 6-flat or better for a couple of miles. Impromptu tempo run...nice!
Sat. Nov. 12 - 11 miles in 108 min (9:49 pace). WARTs run around Turtle Rock at Vedauwoo. First day of the voracious winds. In the trees on the trail the wind wasn't too bad, but up on top it was ridiculous. I did three loops around Turtle Rock with Alec, Daniel, and Rachel. Really good time. Potluck that night was delicious.
Too bad I spent the rest of the weekend on my butt feeling miserable. But, if nothing else, I got up Saturday and got in the long run. The same can't be said for Horsecow, who was "incapacitated." Hope his "Beat Ragan at Pilot Hill 2012" training is going well. He's going to need it. HA!
Totals:
Week's Miles: 36
Running Time: 4:45
November's Miles: 65
Year to Date: 1378
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (299 miles) Saucony Peregrine (53 miles)
Monday, November 7, 2011
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
A little Indie for my tastes, and I know it's been out awhile and I'm not one of the "cool" people who were listening to this band with large-rimmed glasses and fake mustaches (I can grow an actual, real mustache) before anyone had ever heard of them, but today, I find the lyrics of this song to be particularly poignant.
Week Ending November 6
This week started off well and on track, and then I fell apart. Not sure what my deal is. Did a workout Friday afternoon, ran like crapola, and spent the night hacking up my lungs. I took Saturday off in an attempt to recover (and thus no Comea House 5K), and I didn't run yesterday because I was being lazy. I've been sleeping 10 hours a night and still don't feel rested. I'm dragging myself out of bed in the morning and then falling asleep on the couch at nine at night. Makes me wonder if I didn't pick up some bug. May just be feeling all the effects of increased training.
Oh well, if there is one thing I have learned over the years, it's that one should listen to their body. My body gave me the middle finger this weekend. Sometimes it is actually okay to take a day or two off from running. Nine times out of ten, it will be beneficial in the long run.
Mon. Oct. 31 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:07 pace). I hit up a quick and easy run after work. That's pretty much it.
Tues. Nov. 1 - 7 miles in 56 min (8:00 pace). I went up to the trails in the morning to see what I could see. What I found were trails that had been packed down and iced over from the weekend. Apparently, thousands of people were on the trails the past weekend. Odd, I never see people up there. Tough run with little traction.
Wed. Nov. 2 - 9 miles in 65 min (7:13 pace). It snowed a few inches Tuesday night, so in an effort to avoid the icy roads and idiot drivers on said icy roads, I ran a couple of loops on the safety of the Greenbelt. Not the most stimulating run, but given the weather, it was pretty good.
Thurs. Nov. 3 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:15 pace). I had six on the schedule, but settled for four. First day in three weeks that I felt blah running.
Fri. Nov. 4 - 9 miles in 60 min (6:40 pace). First, I had a few too many beers the night before (I quit drinking so much and then I do that, brilliant) and got talked into joining the UW cross team for the annual "Get On Down Invite." That is Coach Cole's famous (infamous?) last workout of the season, a mock track meet where all the runners dress up in odd racing clothes (in my day we wore old high school singlets one year, homemade uniforms the next) and run a race. We used to pair up two girls and one guy and ran a three-leg relay. This year, Cole had the girls run a 1500m and the guys run a 3K.
I ran from my place to the outdoor track, loosened up and hoped for the best. What was quickly evident from the first lap was that I have absolutely no speed anymore. I got spit out the back of the pack after a 72 first quarter (SLOW!) and only fell off more from there. I hit the half in 2:28, 1200m in 3:50, mile in 5:14 and came home in 10:12 for 3K. I felt terrible the whole time, got lapped (on a 3K!) by Taylor, one of UW's top runners, and I then spent the rest of the night having asthma problems and coughing up my lungs.
I grew up with asthma being a by-product of my allergies. I've had three or four pretty bad asthma attacks in my life, but the last one was when I was about 17. As I got older, it seemed like I grew out of it; my allergies became less severe over the years and by the end of my first year running for Wyoming, I had officially ditched my Albuterol inhaler and haven't had any significant issues since. However, Friday evening, I really could have used that inhaler. I'm not sure what the issue was. I wasn't exactly running fast, but something got in my system, or I stressed it too much, and I had a reaction. Very strange.
After that, I took the weekend off. I ate way too many carbs, and spent too many hours sitting on my butt watching football. Lunde and I had made plans to go camping, and then called them off because we were supposed to get a snowstorm through the area Saturday. That never happened, and I'm a little annoyed we didn't go camping. Oh well, not much we can do about it now.
In short, it was kind of a waste of a weekend.
Totals
Week's Miles: 33
Running Time: 3:59
October's Miles: 137
Year to Date: 1342
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (274 miles) Saucony Peregrine (42 miles)
Oh well, if there is one thing I have learned over the years, it's that one should listen to their body. My body gave me the middle finger this weekend. Sometimes it is actually okay to take a day or two off from running. Nine times out of ten, it will be beneficial in the long run.
Mon. Oct. 31 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:07 pace). I hit up a quick and easy run after work. That's pretty much it.
Tues. Nov. 1 - 7 miles in 56 min (8:00 pace). I went up to the trails in the morning to see what I could see. What I found were trails that had been packed down and iced over from the weekend. Apparently, thousands of people were on the trails the past weekend. Odd, I never see people up there. Tough run with little traction.
Wed. Nov. 2 - 9 miles in 65 min (7:13 pace). It snowed a few inches Tuesday night, so in an effort to avoid the icy roads and idiot drivers on said icy roads, I ran a couple of loops on the safety of the Greenbelt. Not the most stimulating run, but given the weather, it was pretty good.
Thurs. Nov. 3 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:15 pace). I had six on the schedule, but settled for four. First day in three weeks that I felt blah running.
Fri. Nov. 4 - 9 miles in 60 min (6:40 pace). First, I had a few too many beers the night before (I quit drinking so much and then I do that, brilliant) and got talked into joining the UW cross team for the annual "Get On Down Invite." That is Coach Cole's famous (infamous?) last workout of the season, a mock track meet where all the runners dress up in odd racing clothes (in my day we wore old high school singlets one year, homemade uniforms the next) and run a race. We used to pair up two girls and one guy and ran a three-leg relay. This year, Cole had the girls run a 1500m and the guys run a 3K.
I ran from my place to the outdoor track, loosened up and hoped for the best. What was quickly evident from the first lap was that I have absolutely no speed anymore. I got spit out the back of the pack after a 72 first quarter (SLOW!) and only fell off more from there. I hit the half in 2:28, 1200m in 3:50, mile in 5:14 and came home in 10:12 for 3K. I felt terrible the whole time, got lapped (on a 3K!) by Taylor, one of UW's top runners, and I then spent the rest of the night having asthma problems and coughing up my lungs.
I grew up with asthma being a by-product of my allergies. I've had three or four pretty bad asthma attacks in my life, but the last one was when I was about 17. As I got older, it seemed like I grew out of it; my allergies became less severe over the years and by the end of my first year running for Wyoming, I had officially ditched my Albuterol inhaler and haven't had any significant issues since. However, Friday evening, I really could have used that inhaler. I'm not sure what the issue was. I wasn't exactly running fast, but something got in my system, or I stressed it too much, and I had a reaction. Very strange.
After that, I took the weekend off. I ate way too many carbs, and spent too many hours sitting on my butt watching football. Lunde and I had made plans to go camping, and then called them off because we were supposed to get a snowstorm through the area Saturday. That never happened, and I'm a little annoyed we didn't go camping. Oh well, not much we can do about it now.
In short, it was kind of a waste of a weekend.
Totals
Week's Miles: 33
Running Time: 3:59
October's Miles: 137
Year to Date: 1342
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (274 miles) Saucony Peregrine (42 miles)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Week Ending October 30
Back-to-back solid weeks for the first time in forever. Consecutive days running count up to 14. I must say, I am still feeling pretty good and excited about this whole adventure. Here's what I did this past week.
Mon. Oct. 24 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:15 pace). I did my new quick and easy four-mile out-and-back on the Greenbelt for my Monday morning recovery run. Followed the run with a stretching routine. Hamstrings and right IT band have been a little tight.
Tues. Oct. 25 - 6 miles in 41 min (6:49 pace). I did what I am referring to as my Southeast Laramie loop. My place, over the tracks, then I followed Garfield east and around Washington Park. I went south around LaPrele, hit up the "pretty alley" and Spring Creek, then up 9th St. back to Garfield and back over the tracks.
Wed. Oct. 26 - A.M. 3 miles in 24 min (8:00 pace). I did a quick little morning run on the Greenbelt.
P.M. 7.5 miles in 56 min (7:28 pace). PUB RUN! Met the crew at The Alibi, then a long jaunt across town to Mingles, another long jaunt back across town to Mulligan's, then a jaunt over the tracks to Bud's, and finished with dinner at Lovejoy's. Brisk temps and icy roads made this one an adventure, but great company and tasty brews more than made up for the near-death experiences.
Thurs. Oct. 27 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:03 pace). Quick post-work run just to get something in. Followed with a core workout and a lot of food.
Fri. Oct. 28 - 6 miles in 38 min (6:19 pace). Form Workout. Same as last week. Run to the IPF, 2x30m form exercises, 8x100m strides, run home.
Sat. Oct. 29 - 6.5 miles in 51 min (7:50 pace). Chris Schabron and I got an early start in Cheyenne on what was a windy, brisk morning. Took it easy on the Greenway. Then we travelled south to spectate at the Mountain West Conference cross country championships. Pokes had a bad day at the office, but that team is more talented than their 5th-place showing. Hopefully they'll regroup and race well at NCAA Regionals in two weeks. Good luck, WYO!
One thing that struck me was how much different the Mountain West is now compared to even just 5-6 years ago when I was finishing up. Case in point, my senior cross season (2005), the conference meet was on the same golf course in Fort Collins in similar conditions (our race had less snow, but colder temps). I had my best XC race ever, placing 21st overall with a time of 25:32. I was UW's fourth man that day, and as a team we placed fourth. Six years later, BYU is no longer part of the conference, New Mexico has become a solid program with good coaching, CSU isn't as deep or strong as it used to be, Boise State appears to be middle of the pack, and TCU is bottom of the barrel. My time from six years ago at the same meet on the same course would have placed me eighth this year. And I was nothing more than a middle-of-the-pack runner.
Makes you wonder if all this conference realignment that appeases football programs is maybe not a good thing for every other sport.
Sun. Oct. 30 - 12.5 miles in 89 min (7:09 pace). Sunday morning long run with Chris in Cheyenne. Beautiful morning for a run, what more can I say? Felt good, had a good conversation with Chris, and finished off the second week of my build-up strong.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 50
Running Time: 5:57
Year to Date: 1309
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (248 miles) Saucony Peregrine (35 miles)
Mon. Oct. 24 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:15 pace). I did my new quick and easy four-mile out-and-back on the Greenbelt for my Monday morning recovery run. Followed the run with a stretching routine. Hamstrings and right IT band have been a little tight.
Tues. Oct. 25 - 6 miles in 41 min (6:49 pace). I did what I am referring to as my Southeast Laramie loop. My place, over the tracks, then I followed Garfield east and around Washington Park. I went south around LaPrele, hit up the "pretty alley" and Spring Creek, then up 9th St. back to Garfield and back over the tracks.
Wed. Oct. 26 - A.M. 3 miles in 24 min (8:00 pace). I did a quick little morning run on the Greenbelt.
P.M. 7.5 miles in 56 min (7:28 pace). PUB RUN! Met the crew at The Alibi, then a long jaunt across town to Mingles, another long jaunt back across town to Mulligan's, then a jaunt over the tracks to Bud's, and finished with dinner at Lovejoy's. Brisk temps and icy roads made this one an adventure, but great company and tasty brews more than made up for the near-death experiences.
Thurs. Oct. 27 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:03 pace). Quick post-work run just to get something in. Followed with a core workout and a lot of food.
Fri. Oct. 28 - 6 miles in 38 min (6:19 pace). Form Workout. Same as last week. Run to the IPF, 2x30m form exercises, 8x100m strides, run home.
Sat. Oct. 29 - 6.5 miles in 51 min (7:50 pace). Chris Schabron and I got an early start in Cheyenne on what was a windy, brisk morning. Took it easy on the Greenway. Then we travelled south to spectate at the Mountain West Conference cross country championships. Pokes had a bad day at the office, but that team is more talented than their 5th-place showing. Hopefully they'll regroup and race well at NCAA Regionals in two weeks. Good luck, WYO!
One thing that struck me was how much different the Mountain West is now compared to even just 5-6 years ago when I was finishing up. Case in point, my senior cross season (2005), the conference meet was on the same golf course in Fort Collins in similar conditions (our race had less snow, but colder temps). I had my best XC race ever, placing 21st overall with a time of 25:32. I was UW's fourth man that day, and as a team we placed fourth. Six years later, BYU is no longer part of the conference, New Mexico has become a solid program with good coaching, CSU isn't as deep or strong as it used to be, Boise State appears to be middle of the pack, and TCU is bottom of the barrel. My time from six years ago at the same meet on the same course would have placed me eighth this year. And I was nothing more than a middle-of-the-pack runner.
Makes you wonder if all this conference realignment that appeases football programs is maybe not a good thing for every other sport.
Sun. Oct. 30 - 12.5 miles in 89 min (7:09 pace). Sunday morning long run with Chris in Cheyenne. Beautiful morning for a run, what more can I say? Felt good, had a good conversation with Chris, and finished off the second week of my build-up strong.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 50
Running Time: 5:57
Year to Date: 1309
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (248 miles) Saucony Peregrine (35 miles)
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Week Ending October 23
I am very stoked about this past week's worth of running. While I didn't do anything drastic, I felt really good on every single run, and I ran everyday of the week. I haven't done that since college over five years ago. I am trying not to get too excited. It was, after all, only the first week of my winter training schedule, but the week has left me very optimistic that I am pursuing the right course and potentially setting myself up to be successful.
I spent a few hours putting together a program, and implored the knowledge of Jason Delaney as well as elicited advice on plyometrics and core exercises from Quincy Howe, assistant track coach at the University of Wyoming. Their advice and encouragement has been above and beyond, and I am excited to put their suggestions into action.
Mon. Oct. 17 - 3.5 miles in 26 min (7:25 pace). I did a quick and easy morning run on the Greenbelt along the Laramie River. Followed it up with quick some core exercises. Mondays will be my recovery days going forward.
Tues. Oct. 18 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:30 pace). Another short run on the Greenbelt. I went out after work in some slightly brisk, but wonderfully sunny weather. While I had sworn to get my runs done in the morning, a strange thing happened; I actually felt really good on this evening run. Weird.
Wed. Oct. 19 - 8 miles in 59 min (7:26 pace). Again I waited until after work to run and again...I had a really good run. What's going on here? Anyway, I went up the hill for a longer trail run. I did what I like to refer to as the "Southwestern Portion" of the Silent Trails course (e.g. Upper UW, Summit, Browns, Headquarters loop). I felt smooth and strong the whole run. Another beautiful day in Laramie, WY!
Thurs. Oct. 20 - 5.5 miles in 41 min (7:23 pace). Got out in the morning and did a loop around the northwest corner of Laramie East. Felt pretty good again. Followed with core exercises.
Fri. Oct. 21 - 6 miles in 40 min (6:40 pace). I did a three mile warm-up run to the Indoor Practice Facility where I did 2x30m of barefoot high knees, butt kicks, quick single-leg cycles, lateral bounds, and karioka. I followed that with 8x100m barefoot strides. Then I ran home. I felt strong and fast on the strides. This will be my Friday routine, more or less, and is based on what I was doing with Coach Sanchez last spring. Form is important going into the winter.
Sat. Oct. 22 - 6.5 miles in 45 min (6:55 pace). I did an old favorite, the Airport Golf Course/Lions Park loop in Cheyenne. Very nice morning over there. Good little run before filling in at Foot of the Rockies (yes, I have been working a few hours at the shoe store again).
Sun. Oct. 23 - 11 miles in 78 min (7:05 pace). Single Trudge loop. Met a group of folks at the Blair picnic area for some Sunday morning trail fun. Split off at the start with Chris Schabron and Horsecow Lonac, as well as Sandra's dog, Nick, and set a pretty good pace throughout. I got to see some of the benefits of the core strengthening I have been doing. For the first time, I put together all the climbs on the Trudge loop. I felt amazing, and was glad to share the beautiful weather with some good friends. Sandra and I followed the run by scarffing down delicious Corona Village burritos after.
Totals
Week's Miles: 45
Running Time: 5:19
Year to Date: 1259
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (201 miles), Saucony Peregrine (32 miles)
I spent a few hours putting together a program, and implored the knowledge of Jason Delaney as well as elicited advice on plyometrics and core exercises from Quincy Howe, assistant track coach at the University of Wyoming. Their advice and encouragement has been above and beyond, and I am excited to put their suggestions into action.
Mon. Oct. 17 - 3.5 miles in 26 min (7:25 pace). I did a quick and easy morning run on the Greenbelt along the Laramie River. Followed it up with quick some core exercises. Mondays will be my recovery days going forward.
Tues. Oct. 18 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:30 pace). Another short run on the Greenbelt. I went out after work in some slightly brisk, but wonderfully sunny weather. While I had sworn to get my runs done in the morning, a strange thing happened; I actually felt really good on this evening run. Weird.
Wed. Oct. 19 - 8 miles in 59 min (7:26 pace). Again I waited until after work to run and again...I had a really good run. What's going on here? Anyway, I went up the hill for a longer trail run. I did what I like to refer to as the "Southwestern Portion" of the Silent Trails course (e.g. Upper UW, Summit, Browns, Headquarters loop). I felt smooth and strong the whole run. Another beautiful day in Laramie, WY!
Thurs. Oct. 20 - 5.5 miles in 41 min (7:23 pace). Got out in the morning and did a loop around the northwest corner of Laramie East. Felt pretty good again. Followed with core exercises.
Fri. Oct. 21 - 6 miles in 40 min (6:40 pace). I did a three mile warm-up run to the Indoor Practice Facility where I did 2x30m of barefoot high knees, butt kicks, quick single-leg cycles, lateral bounds, and karioka. I followed that with 8x100m barefoot strides. Then I ran home. I felt strong and fast on the strides. This will be my Friday routine, more or less, and is based on what I was doing with Coach Sanchez last spring. Form is important going into the winter.
Sat. Oct. 22 - 6.5 miles in 45 min (6:55 pace). I did an old favorite, the Airport Golf Course/Lions Park loop in Cheyenne. Very nice morning over there. Good little run before filling in at Foot of the Rockies (yes, I have been working a few hours at the shoe store again).
Sun. Oct. 23 - 11 miles in 78 min (7:05 pace). Single Trudge loop. Met a group of folks at the Blair picnic area for some Sunday morning trail fun. Split off at the start with Chris Schabron and Horsecow Lonac, as well as Sandra's dog, Nick, and set a pretty good pace throughout. I got to see some of the benefits of the core strengthening I have been doing. For the first time, I put together all the climbs on the Trudge loop. I felt amazing, and was glad to share the beautiful weather with some good friends. Sandra and I followed the run by scarffing down delicious Corona Village burritos after.
Totals
Week's Miles: 45
Running Time: 5:19
Year to Date: 1259
Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (201 miles), Saucony Peregrine (32 miles)
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The High Plains Harriers Fall 2011 newsletter is up. It covers the Laramie running scene very well, including races/results from all the local events from this summer and fall. It also profiles a couple of HPH members and has a couple of nice spotlights, including an excerpt of my Wind River Crossing write-up. Spread the word.
http://highplainsharriers.org/newsletter/HPHNews-Fall2011.pdf
http://highplainsharriers.org/newsletter/HPHNews-Fall2011.pdf
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Next Move: Winter Training Schedule
With the passing of Silent Trails a little over a week ago, I took a week pretty much off (I ran twice on the trails for a total of 13 miles plus a 6 mile hike on the trails Saturday) and mulled over where to take things from here. Silent Trails was the last thing on my 2011 schedule, and with the onset of winter (second snow of the season came down yesterday morning) I have been considering a race schedule for the remainder of the year and a training program to set me in motion for next year.
First, I have added a few races to my 2011 schedule. They reflect what is available in the area this time of year and also serve as one facet of my training strategy. I initially wanted to take a trip somewhere for a bigger trail race (a couple of 50Ks in Arizona had caught my eye), but money being what it is, tight, I think that won't be possible. The Backcountry Half seems like it could be a decent race. A little pricey at $50 pre-registration, but it is in Highlands Ranch so I suppose such costs are to be expected. I'm not sure I can or will be in shape for it, but it will give me an opportunity to do one more longer trail race before the end of the year. It also affords me the opportunity to visit Loni and Dane Johnson, Kevin's mom and stepfather, who live in Highlands Ranch, as well as Katy, Kevin's sister, who, along with her family, is now down in the Denver area. I haven't been down to visit them in a couple of years, and that is something I regret and wish to remedy.
The shorter races will serve two functions: a) they will be my primary speed workouts during the winter and b) they are fun. I haven't run the Comea Turkey Trot since its inaugural edition 11 years ago when I was an 18-year-old college freshman home on Thanksgiving break. There's a new crop of young Cheyenne runners that have been bugging me to run a race or two over there. I figured I might as well oblige.
The Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day 4-Miler is another race I used to run frequently in my younger days, but I haven't made the trip down since 2006. We used to gather a group of folks from Cheyenne every year, head down, and try to win as many age-group pies as we could. That race has become increasingly competive over the years after the introduction of prize money ($600 first place purse for this year's race). I ran my pr 4M (20:28) there in 2006 and managed only a 10th overall showing, and won a pumpkin pie for placing second in my age group (and that only because there was no double-dipping). I know that I am nowhere near that fast now, but I remember always having a good time there and figure why not?
The Resolution Run is another race that a bunch of us carpool down for. I first ran the 2005 race, but have only been back once, in 2009. I remember those races being fun due to racing at night, having a good group of folks around, and the chance to go out on the town in FoCo for New Year's celebrations afterwards.
I may throw another 5K in somewhere in December. Plenty of Jingle Bell Jaunts, etc. around.
As for the winter training, my main focus and concern is injury prevention and staying healthy. I have always had a tendency to get banged up over the winter (running in Laramie this time of year can be hard on the body) and therefore come into the spring maybe a little behind schedule. I want to begin a methodical mileage build-up starting next month, culminating with the Trudge February 25. After that, my focus will be the Big Horn 50M (yes, 50M) in June, with Pilot Hill on the schedule, as well as a possible 50K sometime in April or May.
Along with a steady increase in mileage, I really want to work on my core strength and balance. I am working on a schedule of exercises to help with that. I also plan to incorporate a little weightlifting (nothing significant, I don't wish to pack on muscle, just strengthen my muscles up a bit) and some plyometrics. I think adding some of these things to my routine with help with injury prevention as well as better prepare me for getting back on the trails in the spring.
In training for something like the Trudge, I plan to keep things simple by simply getting outside. I think my weekends will be focused on getting up to the mountains as much as possible and making myself do something up there for two or three hours at a time. I want to get back into some snowshoe runs; we used to do that fairly often in college but I haven't so much the last couple of years. I have always viewed those as a great way to work some different muscles, get up in the mountains, and get the hell off the city streets for a bit. Time out trudging around is probably the best way to train for the Trudge.
I also want to try, weather and gas money permitting, to get down south more this winter. While the Laramie trails were inaccessible until mid-May this past spring, most of the trails south around Fort Collins, Loveland, Golden, Boulder, etc. were pretty much snow-free all winter long. Being able to hit up a couple of long trail runs a month would be great for training and great for my spirits.
That's that. I am going to actually write up a calendar schedule in the next week or two so that I have something physical and tangible to keep me going on the right track. 2011 has been a blessing; I have, with the guidance and friendship of others, fallen back into love with running again. While this year hasn't been easy, and getting back into shape has been difficult at times, I am back to the point where I actually look forward to my runs. I get excited about it. They are not obligations anymore, they are gifts. And I think this year has been the stepping stone. Next year, I look forward to taking that next step. I once, in the not so distant past, thought my competitive racing days were over. Now I look forward to a whole new set of challenges. I'm genuinely excited about the future. It's been too long since I've felt that way.
First, I have added a few races to my 2011 schedule. They reflect what is available in the area this time of year and also serve as one facet of my training strategy. I initially wanted to take a trip somewhere for a bigger trail race (a couple of 50Ks in Arizona had caught my eye), but money being what it is, tight, I think that won't be possible. The Backcountry Half seems like it could be a decent race. A little pricey at $50 pre-registration, but it is in Highlands Ranch so I suppose such costs are to be expected. I'm not sure I can or will be in shape for it, but it will give me an opportunity to do one more longer trail race before the end of the year. It also affords me the opportunity to visit Loni and Dane Johnson, Kevin's mom and stepfather, who live in Highlands Ranch, as well as Katy, Kevin's sister, who, along with her family, is now down in the Denver area. I haven't been down to visit them in a couple of years, and that is something I regret and wish to remedy.
The shorter races will serve two functions: a) they will be my primary speed workouts during the winter and b) they are fun. I haven't run the Comea Turkey Trot since its inaugural edition 11 years ago when I was an 18-year-old college freshman home on Thanksgiving break. There's a new crop of young Cheyenne runners that have been bugging me to run a race or two over there. I figured I might as well oblige.
The Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day 4-Miler is another race I used to run frequently in my younger days, but I haven't made the trip down since 2006. We used to gather a group of folks from Cheyenne every year, head down, and try to win as many age-group pies as we could. That race has become increasingly competive over the years after the introduction of prize money ($600 first place purse for this year's race). I ran my pr 4M (20:28) there in 2006 and managed only a 10th overall showing, and won a pumpkin pie for placing second in my age group (and that only because there was no double-dipping). I know that I am nowhere near that fast now, but I remember always having a good time there and figure why not?
The Resolution Run is another race that a bunch of us carpool down for. I first ran the 2005 race, but have only been back once, in 2009. I remember those races being fun due to racing at night, having a good group of folks around, and the chance to go out on the town in FoCo for New Year's celebrations afterwards.
 |
| Younger versions of Chris Schabron and me at the Resolution Run in 2005. Photo by James Hobson. |
 |
| The Cheyenne crew, including the Herrold brothers, the Vogel brothers, Scooter Foley, the Wildes (Sean and Maya), Gabe "Blue Steel" Floud, and yours truly post 2009 Resolution Run. |
I may throw another 5K in somewhere in December. Plenty of Jingle Bell Jaunts, etc. around.
As for the winter training, my main focus and concern is injury prevention and staying healthy. I have always had a tendency to get banged up over the winter (running in Laramie this time of year can be hard on the body) and therefore come into the spring maybe a little behind schedule. I want to begin a methodical mileage build-up starting next month, culminating with the Trudge February 25. After that, my focus will be the Big Horn 50M (yes, 50M) in June, with Pilot Hill on the schedule, as well as a possible 50K sometime in April or May.
Along with a steady increase in mileage, I really want to work on my core strength and balance. I am working on a schedule of exercises to help with that. I also plan to incorporate a little weightlifting (nothing significant, I don't wish to pack on muscle, just strengthen my muscles up a bit) and some plyometrics. I think adding some of these things to my routine with help with injury prevention as well as better prepare me for getting back on the trails in the spring.
In training for something like the Trudge, I plan to keep things simple by simply getting outside. I think my weekends will be focused on getting up to the mountains as much as possible and making myself do something up there for two or three hours at a time. I want to get back into some snowshoe runs; we used to do that fairly often in college but I haven't so much the last couple of years. I have always viewed those as a great way to work some different muscles, get up in the mountains, and get the hell off the city streets for a bit. Time out trudging around is probably the best way to train for the Trudge.
I also want to try, weather and gas money permitting, to get down south more this winter. While the Laramie trails were inaccessible until mid-May this past spring, most of the trails south around Fort Collins, Loveland, Golden, Boulder, etc. were pretty much snow-free all winter long. Being able to hit up a couple of long trail runs a month would be great for training and great for my spirits.
That's that. I am going to actually write up a calendar schedule in the next week or two so that I have something physical and tangible to keep me going on the right track. 2011 has been a blessing; I have, with the guidance and friendship of others, fallen back into love with running again. While this year hasn't been easy, and getting back into shape has been difficult at times, I am back to the point where I actually look forward to my runs. I get excited about it. They are not obligations anymore, they are gifts. And I think this year has been the stepping stone. Next year, I look forward to taking that next step. I once, in the not so distant past, thought my competitive racing days were over. Now I look forward to a whole new set of challenges. I'm genuinely excited about the future. It's been too long since I've felt that way.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Silent Trails 2011
From 2001 (the first Silent Trails) to 2007, the weather for this race was typically great. Usually a little chilly in the morning, but by race time it was another wonderful fall day in the Wyoming mountains. I used to run this race in a singlet. However, beginning in 2008, when we had a strange ice storm roll in the night before the race, this first weekend in October has proven to be the perennial first snow/cold/crappy weather of the season. 2009 saw the race cancelled thanks to a blizzard the night before, and last year's race, while missing snow, saw colder temps and a howling, freezing west wind that cut through layers of clothing. Thus, when I saw the weather forecast predicting 3-6 inches of snow for Saturday morning, I said to myself, "That figures."
It had yet to begin snowing when I left my house in town to head up the hill. When I arrived at Tie City, the snow was just beginning to fall. I met up with my parents, who travelled over from Cheyenne that morning to spectate, grabbed my race packet, and took off for a warm-up run. 15 minutes later, I was back at the starting line, marvelling at how much snow was beginning to accumulate on the trails.
It had yet to begin snowing when I left my house in town to head up the hill. When I arrived at Tie City, the snow was just beginning to fall. I met up with my parents, who travelled over from Cheyenne that morning to spectate, grabbed my race packet, and took off for a warm-up run. 15 minutes later, I was back at the starting line, marvelling at how much snow was beginning to accumulate on the trails.
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| My dad and me watching the snow fall right before race start. Photo by Cassandra Driver. |
We gathered for the start, where I said hello to Justin Mock and Nick Clark, the stud runners up from Colorado. Also in attendance were my fellow Hungry Dogs Chris Schabron, Nick Cramer, the Big Dog Chris Jons, and Maggie Diller. Jason Delaney hopped on the line next to me wearing only his BRC singlet. He looked at me, smiled, lifted his foot and enthusiastically showed me his shoes. "I'm spiking up, dude!" he proclaimed. Sure enough, he was cruising around in his Adidas cross-country spikes. I, having originally planned to race in my SpeedStars, instead opted for my New Balance 101 trail shoes. I'm not too sure they offered any more traction, by they didn't seem to get snow stuck to the bottom of them quite as bad as the Asics.
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| Snow really started to fall as we gathered for the start. Photo by Cassandra Driver. |
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| From the far left, Chris and me in our yellow HDTC jerseys, Jason in the green singlet, Justin next to him in the white socks, and Nick in the blue hat. One of the studlier starting lines we've had for this race. Photo by Amber Travsky, Laramie Boomerang.
Perry called the race to the line and got us going. From the start, Jason and Justin took off, with Nick not too far behind. Most years, I get sucked into that, bomb down Pole Creek too fast and find myself in oxygen debt when I begin the climb up The Bitch. This year, after a summer of running the course, I decided my best strategy was to be conservative down Pole Creek, do as best I could on the climb, then go as fast as I could on the second half and see if I could run anyone down. This strategy worked, for the most part.
I was tentative on the downhills due to my already well-known ability to fall in the best of conditions. A couple of inches of snow obscuring rocks and roots made things way more treacherous. Ted Haskell, one of the fixtures of Laramie running, has had a habit of really making me work in this race. In 2007, I literally had to out kick him for second place, and I don't believe I have ever finished more than a minute ahead of him. Ted, now officially a Masters at 41, is one of those "old guys" who kick the shit out of young pups on climbs. Ted and Dr. Dan Radosevich (the original Hungry Dog); I get schooled by their old man strength on a continual basis.
Ted caught me going down Pole Creek and I let him go. I kept a consistent 10-20 meters behind him as we went down. To my surprise, Nick Cramer passed me here as well. Nick, an old teammate of mine at UW who we nicknamed "Cosmo" because of his last name (Seinfeld reference), was a good half-miler during his college years. So, as he passed me, I let out some words of caution. "You're gonna want to slow down," I told him. He looked back, smiled, and said, "Hey, I'm just trying to cover as much ground as I can before you school me on The Bitch." Sure enough, after the creek crossing at the bottom of Pole Creek, we began the rolling climb leading up to The Bitch and I caught Cosmo and didn't see him again.
I have always maintained that the worst climb on this course isn't the 700', steep, switch backing climb up The Bitch. In my mind, it's the couple of smaller hills right before. Those little rollers destroy me and set me up for failure on the big climb. However, it was on those rollers that I felt my best. I caught back up to and passed Ted, and kept going. I started to get excited about how good I felt and how maybe this year I was actually going to climb worth a damn. As I began up The Bitch, I was feeling good, but reminded myself to settle in and run within my bounds. That changed after the first couple of switchbacks when I heard a sniffle, looked up on the next switchback and saw Nick Clark.
I immediately sped up. I had never been that close to Nick in a race before, and no offense to him, but one of my goals has been and will continue to be, to beat him in a race. Having him right there, in my sights, got my blood flowing and heart pumping. I decided, again, to calm down, try to reel him in bit by bit, and hopefully have him by the top. From there all I wanted to do was try to stay with him. I bragged in my last post about my confidence in my ability to descend with anyone. That confidence does not cover Nick Clark, whose descending abilities are out of this world. I knew I had to get even with him if I was going to have even the slightest of a shot.
However, that was not meant to be. 2/3's the way up The Bitch, I kept losing my footing in the snow and got a little frustrated and a little winded. By the time I crested the top, Nick was again out of sight, I was jogging down the backside trying to catch my breath (the wind picked up in the open and combined with the climb, the cold air, and the sickness I had a few days before, my lungs were not bringing in enough air), and Ted had summoned his old man strength to once again catch me.
We cruised down Summit and out to Brown's Landing where I finally found myself breathing again. I tucked in behind Ted, shielded my eyes as best I could from the driving snow, and prayed that I didn't misplace any steps in what was now ankle deep snow. My plan was to shamelessly sit on Ted, make him do all work up the backside of Headquarters and down the Overlook, at which point I planned to surge ahead and hopefully out kick him at the end. Ted, old man strength brimming over in the end, had other ideas.
When we came down the Overlook and back into the trees on Headquarters, I tried to make a move. Problem was, Ted was running very strong. And I was beginning to feel the effects of the snow. I was getting tired, and my foot placement was becoming a problem. Every time I surged to try to catch Ted, I seemed to invariably slip off a rock or clip a root hidden in the snow. One particular rock nearly took me down, and in my attempt to stay upright, I flailed my arms and legs about so wildly that I tweaked my hamstring. After that I decided, given the conditions, I would be happy where I was and with all of my parts intact. Ted deserved to beat me. He was the stronger runner that day.
Coming home in the snow. Photo by Cassandra Driver.
Frost everything! Beard, arms, even legs! Photo by Cassandra Driver
I came home in 5th in 1:17 and change, over seven minutes slower than my fastest time on this course. Jason brought home the bacon for the Hungry Dogs in 1:09, with Justin a close second, Clark third and a deserving Ted fourth. After the race, Mr. Jons and I discussed how this was truly a quintessential Wyoming cross-country race blessed by the guys. Coach Sanchez came up to me and said, "Y'know how I always used to say there was a fine line between tough and stupid? Well, I think we crossed that line today!" I laughed and agreed. We also summed up that everyone out there was a distance runner. There were no candy-asses in sight.
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Week Ending May 8
Mon. May 2 - Day off.
Tues. May 3 - Day off. Lazy.
Wed. May 4 - 9 miles in 70 min (7:46 pace). Lunch time run with Jeff and Patrick. Felt pretty good and strong; cruised the single track climb out to the fence line. I was feeling a little bummed this day. We lost a special person. Roni Sanchez, Coach Sanchez's wife and den mother to a couple generations of Hungry Dogs, passed away yesterday afternoon after succumbing to a 10+ year battle with cancer. She was an unbelievably strong and spirited person. She took such good care of the team (and of Coach). Some of my favorite memories from my college XC days were the brunches we had at the Sanchez home following a weekend long run. I remember being a 17 year-old high school senior visiting Wyoming on a recruiting trip in the fall of 2000; I was so warmly and graciously welcomed to the Sanchez home and family by Roni that I knew Wyoming was the place for me. I took an oftentimes misleading path to get here, but I've never regretted it. Wyoming was where I always needed to be, and Roni Sanchez was a big reason why. I will miss her dearly, but I will remember her spirit and her attitude and her strength and hope I can portray even a fraction of it in my own life. She's finally not suffering anymore, and I do find some peace and comfort in that.
Thurs. May 5 - 8.5 miles in 66 min (7:45 pace). Another prairie run with Jeff and Patrick. Patrick went out for more miles, Jeff cut back in for fewer miles. I felt pretty good. Beautiful day in Laramie, WY!
Fri. May 6 - 4 miles in 27 min (6:45 pace). I ran from home to the IM fields by the outdoor track, then kicked off the shoes for 6 x 35 sec. pick-ups with 35 sec. jog between. This simulates the old pre-race workouts we used to do before XC meets back in college. I add the barefoot stuff because I did them on grass and it feels good!
Sat. May 7 - 17 miles. Greenland Trail 25K. All I can say is that I felt this race was a complete disaster. I'm really disappointed in my inability to put it together. Maybe I overestimated what kind of shape I'm in. Maybe I need more experience with these longer trail races. It was also hot, in the 70's by the second loop, and one of the drawbacks to training in Laramie in the winter and spring is that you are never prepared for temperatures much over 60. It's like when we had MWC outdoor in Vegas my sophomore year (2004). We did a workout in Laramie in the snow and wind, then ran the 10,000m the next morning in 95 degree heat. I don't handle heat well to begin with, and especially not when I'm not acclimated to it at all. Couple that with the course being totally wide-open with no shade, and I wilted pretty bad.
Another unforeseen issue was the wind. I had earlier in the week made fun of Greenies (Wyomingites' derogatory term for Coloradoans) for complaining about a 15mph wind. I said something to the effect that we don't even qualify 15mph as a wind in Wyoming. Well, Karma is a bitch and the race began with a 15-20mph headwind for the first 3 or 4 miles. And running into it hurt. It wore me out right from the start. However, I actually welcomed it on the second lap because it was the only thing cooling me down.
Those are my excuses for what I considered a sub-par performance. I placed 15th overall in 1:57:29. I went into the race thinking I could run 1:50 or better. Again, I overestimated my fitness (or my skill level...I may not be as good a runner as I seem to think I am), and got my butt kicked for it. I suppose that I shouldn't expect results to come instantly; I have not trained consistently for four years, I gained nearly 30 pounds (from a lean, mean 152 to a portly 185) since college, and I'm not getting any younger. It really is amazing how differently the body responds to training or how quickly it recovers when one is 27 (I'll be 28 next month) compared to being 19 or 20. I really must adapt my mentality to that. I'll never be in sub-15 5K shape again. That kind of sucks.
That said, we had a good crew down for the race. Johnna kicked some ass, placing 27th overall in 2:04:15; she was the 5th overall woman and the first masters woman. Good ol' Huntington placed 3rd overall in 1:45:01, once again proving that he is a vastly superior runner to myself. That one XC season that I consistently beat him is what it is, a fluke. Jeff and Sam ran well, but felt the heat like I did, and poor Brian DNF'd due to injury. He'll get back on that horse!
Sun. May 8 - Day off.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 38
Running Time: 4:50
Calories Burned: ~ 4,243
May's Miles: 53
Year to Date: 446
Gear: Asics Speedstar 4 (324 miles), New Balance Trail 100 (227 miles)
Tues. May 3 - Day off. Lazy.
Wed. May 4 - 9 miles in 70 min (7:46 pace). Lunch time run with Jeff and Patrick. Felt pretty good and strong; cruised the single track climb out to the fence line. I was feeling a little bummed this day. We lost a special person. Roni Sanchez, Coach Sanchez's wife and den mother to a couple generations of Hungry Dogs, passed away yesterday afternoon after succumbing to a 10+ year battle with cancer. She was an unbelievably strong and spirited person. She took such good care of the team (and of Coach). Some of my favorite memories from my college XC days were the brunches we had at the Sanchez home following a weekend long run. I remember being a 17 year-old high school senior visiting Wyoming on a recruiting trip in the fall of 2000; I was so warmly and graciously welcomed to the Sanchez home and family by Roni that I knew Wyoming was the place for me. I took an oftentimes misleading path to get here, but I've never regretted it. Wyoming was where I always needed to be, and Roni Sanchez was a big reason why. I will miss her dearly, but I will remember her spirit and her attitude and her strength and hope I can portray even a fraction of it in my own life. She's finally not suffering anymore, and I do find some peace and comfort in that.
Thurs. May 5 - 8.5 miles in 66 min (7:45 pace). Another prairie run with Jeff and Patrick. Patrick went out for more miles, Jeff cut back in for fewer miles. I felt pretty good. Beautiful day in Laramie, WY!
Fri. May 6 - 4 miles in 27 min (6:45 pace). I ran from home to the IM fields by the outdoor track, then kicked off the shoes for 6 x 35 sec. pick-ups with 35 sec. jog between. This simulates the old pre-race workouts we used to do before XC meets back in college. I add the barefoot stuff because I did them on grass and it feels good!
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| Start of the Greenland Trail 25K. |
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| Starting the second loop. Feeling the heat. |
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| Coming into the finish. |
That said, we had a good crew down for the race. Johnna kicked some ass, placing 27th overall in 2:04:15; she was the 5th overall woman and the first masters woman. Good ol' Huntington placed 3rd overall in 1:45:01, once again proving that he is a vastly superior runner to myself. That one XC season that I consistently beat him is what it is, a fluke. Jeff and Sam ran well, but felt the heat like I did, and poor Brian DNF'd due to injury. He'll get back on that horse!
Sun. May 8 - Day off.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 38
Running Time: 4:50
Calories Burned: ~ 4,243
May's Miles: 53
Year to Date: 446
Gear: Asics Speedstar 4 (324 miles), New Balance Trail 100 (227 miles)
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Weeks Ending Sept. 25 and Oct. 2
Catching up on a couple of weeks. One was decent, the other not so much. Nothing I can do about that now. I spent last week in Virginia with my parents visiting my little sister and brother-in-law. While it was nice to get out of Laramie for a bit, and great to hang with the fam, I did jack for training and came home with a pretty nasty cold that has managed to hang on for nearly a week (I hypothesize some super-Virginia virus for which I have little to no immunity). So, I am going into Silent Trails either doomed for disaster or extremely well-tapered. Can one really taper off a few 50 mile weeks? I guess I will find out.
Tues. Sept. 20 - 8.6 miles in 62 min (7:12 pace). I ran an old West Laramie loop that Jason and I used to include in a larger, all-of-Laramie loop we did for weekend long runs back in college. I was out between 7 and 8 in the morning, and the traffic over on that side of town was a little ridiculous. And apparently West Laramie residents believe not in sharing the road. Or slowing down whatsoever for pedestrians. Saw my life flash before my eyes a couple of times.
Wed. Sept. 21 - 9 miles in 57 min (6:19 pace). TEMPO RUN! Warm-up from my place to the UW track, form drills and 4x100m strides, then into a three-mile tempo at six-minute pace. I actually hit the mile splits in 5:51, 5:59, and 5:56 for a total of 17:46/3-miles tempo. Felt decent, pretty smooth and relaxed. Followed it up with 6x100m barefoot strides on the infield and a cool-down jog home. Last "workout" before Jelm.
Thurs. Sept. 22 - 5 miles in 38 min (7:35 pace). As if I haven't figured it out yet, I again waited until after work to run, and once again, I felt completely awful. I wanted to get in 8-9 miles, but after making a quick loop out in Cottonwood Estates, I bagged it and went home. Ragan, you NEED to get your runs done in the morning, bonehead!
Fri. Sept. 23 - 6 miles in 42 min (7:00 pace). My house to the UW track, 8x100m barefoot strides, UW track back to my house. Quick and easy pre-race workout.
Sat. Sept. 24 - 13 miles in 97 min (7:37 pace). JELM MOUNTAIN RUN. Went to the race with my dad and Mr. Vogel. Did a quick ten-minute warm-up to get some blood flowing into my lungs. Chris Schabron and I worked together on the first couple of miles while Sam Malmberg opened a gap on us. When we started the first of the real climbing about 1.5 miles in, I thought, "Oh no, I feel terrible, nothing is flowing and it's going to be a bad day." Chris put a few meters on me before my legs woke-up and started getting down to business.
I started churning up the mountain, eventually dropping Chris and continuing up. I felt really good on the climb, the best I have ever felt on that mountain. I thought, for a brief period of time, that I was making up time on Sam. I think this was an illusion; Sam beat me to the top by exactly three minutes, 43:10 to my 46:10.
When I began the descent, I had a choice to make: do I bomb down this mountain as fast and haphazardly as I can and try to catch Sam, or do I take it easy and make sure I have the ability to walk the next few days? I had almost two minutes on Ted, who was in third, at the top. I figured if Ted could make up those two minutes on the descent, I could deal and just out kick him at the finish (sorry Ted, I mean no offense). I decided to relax, figuring I wasn't going to make up three minutes on Sam, a much more skilled trail runner than I, on a descent. I chose to sit and defend my second place.
My plan worked, I was in great shape after the race and had no issues with my plane travel to Virginia the next day. I descended in 30:55 compared to Sam's 28:19, putting me 5:36 behind his winning time of 1:11:29 with a time of 1:17:05. Talking to Sam after the race, he was concerned that I would catch him on the way down, claiming that he was not a great descender. That got me wondering if maybe I shouldn't have pushed harder coming down. However, looking at my previous times on Jelm, I seriously doubt I would have done it.
When I won Jelm in 2008, I ascended in 46:44, and descended in 28:29, for an overall time of 1:15:13. I did climb faster and more comfortably this year, but had I descended in a similar time this year, I still wouldn't have made up those three minutes on Sam. I would have merely remained even with him. What I need to do is figure out how in the hell to get up the mountain faster. I am confident in my ability to descend with just about anyone, and if things were to come down to a kick, I'm pretty confident I could summon up enough of my old track speed to get by the trail guys. What kills me is the time I lose to them on the climb. I can't make that up coming down. I think next year will see a few more forays up Jelm.
Totals:
Week's Mileage: 42
Running Time: 4:56
Year to Date: 1164
As for my week in Virginia...I ran twice on Virginia Beach, felt terrible on both, couldn't breathe in all that thick, humid air, and continued my legacy of being the only human alive that functions at a disadvantage when going down from elevation to run at sea level. Seriously, a look at my personal bests is pretty indicative of this fact.
800m - 1:59.9 in Fort Collins, CO (5,003ft.)
1500m - 4:08 in Fort Collins, CO
Mile - 4:23 indoors at Black Hills State in Spearfish, SD (3,648ft.)
3000m - 8:41 indoors at Nebraska in Lincoln (1,176ft.). However, I ran a 9:02 indoors at Air Force (~7,000ft.) that converts to ~8:42. Basically the same time.
5000m - 14:56 outdoors in Albuquerque, NM (5,312ft.). I ran 15:07 indoors at Iowa State (Ames is 942ft.) one year. And felt twice as bad doing it.
8K XC - 25:35 in Fort Collins, CO. My best low-elevation time was 26:01 at Notre Dame (South Bend is 692ft.).
10,000m - 31:41 at Stanford. Again, I ran a 31:42 at BYU later that year (Provo, UT is 4,551 ft.).
Now, some of these times have certain extenuating circumstances impacting them. For one, since I live in the Rocky Mountain region, and Wyoming is part of the Mountain West Conference consisting of schools in similar geographic locations, most of my running and racing is done at elevation. Also, most of my pr's are from races run at the end of the season, meaning I a) had a whole season worth of conditioning under my belt and b) I was peaked/tapered for most of those races. My 5,000m pr was run two weeks before the MWC outdoor championships, my 8K pr was at the MWC XC championships, and the 3,000m and 10,000m times I ran at elevation were both at conference meets. Most of the lower elevation races were early in the season when I was perhaps less ready to run well. However, I still feel that I have never come close to seeing all the physiological benefits of going down to sea level to race that I heard so much about my entire life.
Mon. Sept. 26 - 4.5 miles in 32 min (7:06 pace). I ran down the straight, boring street that ran along Virginia Beach. I turned around and hopped on the beach coming back. The sand there was so soft that I felt like I was running in peanut butter. After about ten minutes, I retreated back to the pavement.
Wed. Sept. 28 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:30 pace). Again, just wasn't feeling it. It was particularly humid this day (94%). We don't have such things in Wyoming.
After that, I caught a cold from my sister and brought it home with me.
Week's Mileage: 9
Running Time: 1:02
Year to Date: 1175
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (162 miles)
Tues. Sept. 20 - 8.6 miles in 62 min (7:12 pace). I ran an old West Laramie loop that Jason and I used to include in a larger, all-of-Laramie loop we did for weekend long runs back in college. I was out between 7 and 8 in the morning, and the traffic over on that side of town was a little ridiculous. And apparently West Laramie residents believe not in sharing the road. Or slowing down whatsoever for pedestrians. Saw my life flash before my eyes a couple of times.
Wed. Sept. 21 - 9 miles in 57 min (6:19 pace). TEMPO RUN! Warm-up from my place to the UW track, form drills and 4x100m strides, then into a three-mile tempo at six-minute pace. I actually hit the mile splits in 5:51, 5:59, and 5:56 for a total of 17:46/3-miles tempo. Felt decent, pretty smooth and relaxed. Followed it up with 6x100m barefoot strides on the infield and a cool-down jog home. Last "workout" before Jelm.
Thurs. Sept. 22 - 5 miles in 38 min (7:35 pace). As if I haven't figured it out yet, I again waited until after work to run, and once again, I felt completely awful. I wanted to get in 8-9 miles, but after making a quick loop out in Cottonwood Estates, I bagged it and went home. Ragan, you NEED to get your runs done in the morning, bonehead!
Fri. Sept. 23 - 6 miles in 42 min (7:00 pace). My house to the UW track, 8x100m barefoot strides, UW track back to my house. Quick and easy pre-race workout.
Sat. Sept. 24 - 13 miles in 97 min (7:37 pace). JELM MOUNTAIN RUN. Went to the race with my dad and Mr. Vogel. Did a quick ten-minute warm-up to get some blood flowing into my lungs. Chris Schabron and I worked together on the first couple of miles while Sam Malmberg opened a gap on us. When we started the first of the real climbing about 1.5 miles in, I thought, "Oh no, I feel terrible, nothing is flowing and it's going to be a bad day." Chris put a few meters on me before my legs woke-up and started getting down to business.
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| Chris and me enjoying our Saturday morning. Perfect weather. Photo by Wendy Perkins. |
When I began the descent, I had a choice to make: do I bomb down this mountain as fast and haphazardly as I can and try to catch Sam, or do I take it easy and make sure I have the ability to walk the next few days? I had almost two minutes on Ted, who was in third, at the top. I figured if Ted could make up those two minutes on the descent, I could deal and just out kick him at the finish (sorry Ted, I mean no offense). I decided to relax, figuring I wasn't going to make up three minutes on Sam, a much more skilled trail runner than I, on a descent. I chose to sit and defend my second place.
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| Feeling good. Floating over the ground. Photo by Guy Driver. |
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| Cruising into the finish. Photo by Wendy Perkins. |
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| I like this picture of Patrick, Mr. Race Director, and me. Photo by Wendy Perkins. |
Totals:
Week's Mileage: 42
Running Time: 4:56
Year to Date: 1164
As for my week in Virginia...I ran twice on Virginia Beach, felt terrible on both, couldn't breathe in all that thick, humid air, and continued my legacy of being the only human alive that functions at a disadvantage when going down from elevation to run at sea level. Seriously, a look at my personal bests is pretty indicative of this fact.
800m - 1:59.9 in Fort Collins, CO (5,003ft.)
1500m - 4:08 in Fort Collins, CO
Mile - 4:23 indoors at Black Hills State in Spearfish, SD (3,648ft.)
3000m - 8:41 indoors at Nebraska in Lincoln (1,176ft.). However, I ran a 9:02 indoors at Air Force (~7,000ft.) that converts to ~8:42. Basically the same time.
5000m - 14:56 outdoors in Albuquerque, NM (5,312ft.). I ran 15:07 indoors at Iowa State (Ames is 942ft.) one year. And felt twice as bad doing it.
8K XC - 25:35 in Fort Collins, CO. My best low-elevation time was 26:01 at Notre Dame (South Bend is 692ft.).
10,000m - 31:41 at Stanford. Again, I ran a 31:42 at BYU later that year (Provo, UT is 4,551 ft.).
Now, some of these times have certain extenuating circumstances impacting them. For one, since I live in the Rocky Mountain region, and Wyoming is part of the Mountain West Conference consisting of schools in similar geographic locations, most of my running and racing is done at elevation. Also, most of my pr's are from races run at the end of the season, meaning I a) had a whole season worth of conditioning under my belt and b) I was peaked/tapered for most of those races. My 5,000m pr was run two weeks before the MWC outdoor championships, my 8K pr was at the MWC XC championships, and the 3,000m and 10,000m times I ran at elevation were both at conference meets. Most of the lower elevation races were early in the season when I was perhaps less ready to run well. However, I still feel that I have never come close to seeing all the physiological benefits of going down to sea level to race that I heard so much about my entire life.
Mon. Sept. 26 - 4.5 miles in 32 min (7:06 pace). I ran down the straight, boring street that ran along Virginia Beach. I turned around and hopped on the beach coming back. The sand there was so soft that I felt like I was running in peanut butter. After about ten minutes, I retreated back to the pavement.
Wed. Sept. 28 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:30 pace). Again, just wasn't feeling it. It was particularly humid this day (94%). We don't have such things in Wyoming.
After that, I caught a cold from my sister and brought it home with me.
Week's Mileage: 9
Running Time: 1:02
Year to Date: 1175
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (162 miles)
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