Weeks Ending April 15 & 22 + Horsetooth Half-Marathon

Not the greatest or most consistent training weeks the past two weeks.  Long story short; I haven't been feeling well (again) and finally went to the doctor.  The suspicion is that I may have gallstones.  I'm going to have an ultrasound next Monday to see.  If so, then it sounds like I get to go ahead and have the damn thing removed.  Very fun.


That's my excuse this week.


Mon. April 9 - 5.5 miles in 37 min (6:47 pace).  Quick and easy morning run in Cheyenne.  Down the Greenbelt, made a lap around the lake at Mylar Park, and headed in.


Tues. April 10 - A.M. 4 miles in 28 min (6:52 pace).  Morning run on the Greenbelt.


P.M. - 8 miles in 51 min (6:18 pace).  Tuesday Night Tempo.  Ran to Washington Park, then hit a good 4-mile tempo with Mr. Martisius.  The tempo felt very relaxed, and I hit it in 22:43 (5:40/mile).  Cool down run home.


Wed. April 11 - A.M. 4.5 miles in 32 min (7:00 pace).  Quick morning run.  Cedar to Curtis to 9th to Garfield.  Makes a square.


P.M. - 7 miles in 57 min (8:08 pace).  Chris Schabron was in town so he and I did some catching up on the Headquarters-Browns-Summit loop at Happy Jack.  The weather went south on us a bit, but we survived.


Thurs. April 12 - 11 miles in 1:40 (9:05 pace).  I decided to try the Pole Creek-Headquarters loop.  I got up there a little late, and the weather went south and got a little chilly.  Add to that me being pretty tired and sluggish, and this run wasn't a whole lot of fun.


Fri. April 13 - 7 miles in 50 min (7:04 pace).  Lunch run on the Greenbelt.  I was only going to do four miles, but I loosened up pretty well and kept going.


Week's Miles: 47
Running Time: 5:53
Year to Date: 651 (71:55 running time)


That weekend, I went to Cheyenne for Coach Schopp's memorial service, and didn't run thanks to awful weather and my stomach issues.


Mon. April 16 - 4 miles in 30 min (7:30 pace).  I didn't go to work because I felt so bad, but I had to get out and do something.  These were four pretty miserable miles.


Wed. April 18 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:15 pace).  I finally started to feel a little better, but these were pretty awful miles, too.


Sat. April 21 - 11 miles in 80 min (7:16 pace).  Trudge loop with Horsecow and Rachel.  A beautiful day and me finally feeling better = a great trail run.  Ended up moving a lot better and faster than I anticipated.


Sun. April 22 - 18 miles.  Horsetooth Half-Marathon.  I almost no-showed given my issues the previous week (and lack of running), but having dropped $70 on the entry fee, and the fact that I was feeling better, I decided to give it a whirl.  Dad and I drove down that morning and arrived about an hour before the start.  I did a simple and short warm-up, and then found Mr. Delaney on the start line.  It was an absolutely gorgeous morning down in Fort Collins.

The start.  Photo: Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan.

The race started and it was immediately down to a lead pack of about 10 runners.  I felt comfortable tucking in at the back of that group.  I planned to try to take it easy on those first two climbs (Dam Hill is a 9.6% grade after all).  Jason took it out pretty hard, but I tried to relax and let it flow.  I felt pretty good on the first climb up from the stadium, but as I crossed the dam and started Dam Hill, my chest tightened up and I got a slight sense of panic, thinking it would maybe not be the best day at the office.  

Jason runs away with it from the start.  Photo: Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan.

Me trying to hang on across the dam.  Photo: Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan/

At that point, Brianne Nelson passed me and immediately gapped me by 10 seconds or so.  I must admit, there is a little part of me deep down that really doesn't want to get chicked.  It may be a little sexist, but it's there.  But Brianne is a stud, and ran the first half of that race very well.  I figured at that point, if she gets me, she gets me.  I'll accept it.


However, coming off the dam, I started to feel better and found a good groove.  As we started on the flat before Bingham Hill, I ran into Nick Clark who was running on the other side of the road.  We said hey, then he taunted me a little. "You're not going to get chicked today, are you?" he said with a smile and nod up ahead of me toward Brianne.  I responded by saying, "I don't know, we'll see."

Brianne kicking my ass.  Photo: Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan.

I did finally catch Brianne about halfway up Bingham Hill.  We worked together for the next half mile.  I thought, well, I guess I'll be running with her the rest of the way.  I was pretty comfortable at that point, and she was running strong (she would eventually finish 11th overall in 1:20:35).  However, as we approached the turn onto the bike path on the Poudre, we were caught, and passed, by another runner who was running about 10 seconds faster per mile than we were.  I made the quick decision to just go with him, so I shamelessly tucked in behind him until I adjusted to the new pace.


The last five miles or so are on that flat, paved bike path, so the pace kicked down from ~6:10 to ~5:55 per mile.  We fought a slight headwind, but I once again found a nice groove and the other runner, Luke, and I ran side-by-side for most of the way.  We rolled up another runner who blew up pretty badly, and then continued the fine art of throwing proverbial jabs at one another.  


With a mile to go, I was trying to decide when and if I should or could make a move to drop Luke.  I surged a little with about half a mile to go, but Luke covered nicely.  We started to hear the cheers of the crowd at the finish which told us we were almost done, and also dumped a little adrenaline into our systems.  Luke and I accelerated and kept shoulder-to-shoulder.  About 150m from the finish, there was a pretty sharp, near 90 degree turn into the finish straight.  Luke had the pole position on me, and I've never been great at sharp turns (I'm a little too tall).  I just tried to stick to his shoulder around the turn before throwing down.  At that point I heard Jason yell, "HUNGRY DOG!" and I went for it.  I conjured up some of my old track speed and put almost two seconds on Luke at the end.  It felt awesome to kick like that again.  I've missed the hell out of that kind of speed.

Old dog can still throw down like a boss.  Photo: Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan.

I finished 9th overall in 1:18:45.  I'm pretty dang happy with that.  Jason, of course, not only won, but set a new course record.  I think his powers lie in his mustache.

I mean, seriously, look at that thing!  Photo: Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan.

Week's Miles: 37

Running Time: 4:20

Year to Date: 688 (76:15 running time)

Gear: Asics Sky Speed (320 miles) Saucony Peregrine (303 miles)

Week Ending April 8

Another great training week in the books.  I feel like I might have things officially back on track.  It's time to buckle down and really focus on Bighorn.  I think May will be spent trying to get in as many miles as my body can handle.  I still have this crazy notion of shooting for the mythical triple digit mileage week before Bighorn, but I don't want to write checks my body can't cash.  So, for now, I'll just build up as best I can and see what happens.


Horsetooth Half has been officially added to my schedule.  I had no intention of racing a road half, but Jason decided he was going to hop in it, so I was convinced to join him.  I have never run an actual half before, so this is a new thing for me.  I feel pretty confident I can run a decent race, but we'll see.  My goal will be to hang on to Jason as long as I can.  Though the smart thing to do would be to just let him go because when it comes to road racing, especially half-marathons and marathons, Delaney matriculates on an entirely different level from me.


This week was my highest mileage week since December 2006.  Five and a half years is a pretty long time to suck at running.  On with the show!


Mon. April 2 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:15 pace).  My easy rest day consisted of a post-work run on the Greenbelt followed by a pretty thorough core workout.


Tues. April 3 - A.M. 4 miles in 28 min (7:00 pace).  Morning run on the Greenbelt.  Felt pretty good.


P.M. - 7 miles in 44 min (6:17 pace).  Tuesday Night Tempo.  Two mile warm-up to Washington Park, then a 3 mile tempo run in 17:30 (5:50 pace), finished off with a two mile cool down home.  Pretty decent tempo.  I felt a little sluggish for the first half mile or so, but seemed to loosen up pretty well after that.


Wed. April 4 - Noon - 8 miles in 53 min (6:40 pace).  Lunch run on the West Laramie loop on what was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.


P.M. - 5 miles in 43 min (8:35 pace).  HPH Full Moon Run.  We started at 9pm and went for a five-mile loop in the prairie.  I wasn't super thrilled to be out there since I am usually getting to bed at nine (since I'm an old man), but after a couple of miles of stumbling over the limestone bedrock along the fenceline, I perked up a little and started to be a little more gregarious.  While the full moon was actually on Friday, we still had plenty of light out there.


Thurs. April 5 - 11.5 miles in 85 min (7:23 pace).  I met El Jefe, Patrick, and Ted for a lunch run in the prairie.  Another gorgeous, warm day, so I brought the handheld water bottle with me.  I ran from home, met those guys at Half Acre, then did an 8 mile loop out in the prairie, then continued on home.  Good mid-week long run.  


Fri. April 6 - 6 miles in 40 min (6:40 pace).  I met El Jefe and Jordan at the UW track for some Friday form work.  2x form drills followed by 16x100m barefoot strides on the infield.  Felt good to kick off the shoes!


Sat. April 7 - 8 miles in 71 min (8:52 pace).  The WARTs met at the Volin trailhead at Crystal Reservoir for what had been planned to be a 17-25 mile long run on the trails.  However, when we got there, a 50 mph wind was tearing through the area, cutting through a couple layers of clothing and generally making everyone cold and miserable.  We got into the canyon and out of the wind a little and found things to be somewhat tolerable.  At that point, I was still thinking I'd head out for another lap and get my 15 or 16 miles in.  But as we came around Crystal, we ran straight into the wind and any gumption I had disappeared.  We struggled back to the cars and said, "$%&* this!" and went home.  Josh and Alec, ever the masochists, continued on and did the whole 25 mile loop.  Sounds like it sucked.


Sun. April 8 - 13 miles in 91 min (7:00 pace).  I got up early in Cheyenne to get this one in before our Easter brunch at 9am.  I did a variation of the old Capitol Loop with a trip around both parks, Monterrey Heights, and Western Hills.  I didn't get in as long of a long run as I had wanted this weekend, but it will do.  I got a bloody nose over the last mile thanks to all the dry, windy air recently.  I love spring in Wyoming sometimes.  Oh well, good end to a good training week.


Totals:
Week's Miles: 67
Running Time: 8:04
Year to Date: 604 (66:02 running time)


Gear: Asics Sky Speed (270 miles) Saucony Peregrine (274 miles)

Remembering Coach Duane Schopp

I remember being a skinny little 15-year-old high school sophomore the first time I met Duane Schopp.  He had just started as the new athletic director at Central High School in Cheyenne as I was just starting my first season of cross country.  I have always maintained that I have had the unbelievably good fortune to have the right people enter my life at the right times, and Duane Schopp was certainly no exception.  The right ingredients were in place at Central in the late 1990s, with Coach Rick Bishop, my best friend Kevin Salverson, and an amazing man in Coach Schopp guiding us all down the right path.


When I started high school at Central, we had nothing.  The school itself was out on the northwest side of town, but our basketball teams still played downtown at the old Storey Gym, our football team played at Okie Blanchard Stadium, which was the home field of our crosstown rival East High, and our track teams, well, we didn't have a track.  When I came onto the scene, Central was a two-time defending state track champion without a home track facility.  The first thing Duane Schopp did on the job was to champion first-rate facilities and resources for Central High student-athletes.  During his tenure at Central, Schopp helped raise funds for Riske Field, a home field and stadium for the Central football and soccer teams surrounded by a great track complete with runways and shot put sector.  He also oversaw the refurbishing of the field house, complete with a wonderful hardwood basketball court, spectator stands, and indoor track.  There are new boys and girls locker rooms, a new training room, a renovated weight room, and a resurfaced indoor swimming pool.  None of that existed before Duane Schopp.


More importantly, however, was his mentoring, guidance, and dedication to the student-athletes in his care.  I remember his attendance at nearly every Central High athletics event.  I recall his tireless work to make sure we were all on the straight-and-narrow and achieving our best in the classroom and in our respective sports.  He offered me concise, honest, and beneficial help when it came to deciding where to go to college.  He called colleges and universities to praise us and help us earn athletic scholarships.  He made sure we all had everything in order to graduate successfully and enter college successfully.  I am certain that the success a lot of us had as collegiate student-athletes and in our post-collegiate pursuits is directly attributable to the standard of excellence set forth by Coach Schopp.


Before his tenure at Central, Schopp was the head track coach at the University of Wyoming from 1984-1997.  He and Coach Sanchez helped develop some incredible athletes and human beings.  The red and black from Central High and the Brown & Gold of Wyoming run deep.  We were so fortunate to have a man like Duane Schopp in our lives.  Wyoming athletics on every level has lost a true giant.  His guidance and passion will be sorely missed, but if we can continue to teach his lessons to future generations, then I am confident everything will work out.  


Rest in peace, Coach.  I'll be down here running and thinking about you.  And thanks so much for all you did.  I'll never forget it and never stop appreciating and respecting it.


A memorial service will be held at Storey Gym in Cheyenne at 10am Saturday April 14, with a reception to follow at Central High School.

Week Ending April 1 - Attempting to Get Back on the Horse

March ended up being pretty much a wash training wise thanks to the issues I let control my life the last few weeks.  This past week I felt like I am starting to get things back under control.  I'm still not right, but I am feeling significantly better than I was just a few weeks ago.  I'm really going to try to keep that going.  This week, running felt good and was fun.  I certainly could use more of that, especially since I need to step things up.


It's snowing again in Laramie today, reminding me of what spring is actually like here in the high basin.  Those weeks of 60-70 degree days were, in a word, abnormal.  This is more like it.  Let's go with it.


Tues. March 27 - A.M. 3 miles in 19 min (6:26 pace).  Quick morning run on the Greenbelt.


P.M. - 7 miles in 45 min (6:25 pace).  Tuesday Night Tempo.  Yes, the hills have been replaced by tempo.  I met El Jefe at Washington Park after a two mile warm-up and decided we would hit a three-mile tempo.  We took off toward LaPrele and made a loop out around Corthell.  I surprisingly felt pretty darn good, so I kicked the pace down for a lap around the park to finish.  I hit a 3.25 mile tempo in 18:33 (5:42/mile pace).  I'll take it.  It felt very relaxed and dare I say easy.  I ran two miles home for a cool down.


Wed. March 28 - Noon - 3 miles in 19 min (6:26 pace).  Lunch run to go with this evening's Pub Run.  I was going to go longer, but felt a little unambitious after my three-mile loop and went home.


P.M. - 6 miles in 47 min (7:49 pace).  PUB RUN!  Started at Front Street, then ran to Bailey's, back to the Alibi, then over the bridge for our obligatory Pabst at Bud's, then back over to Altitude for dinner.  I got a little toasty on this one and didn't feel super the next day. That's the risk you take with the Pub Run.


Thurs. March 29 - 7.5 miles in 60 min (8:00 pace).  I grabbed my microspikes (one of my favorite pieces of gear ever!) and drove up the hill to get in some post-work trail miles and do a little trail conditions recon.  What I found was quite a bit less snow than two weeks ago.  Headquarters and Brown's were pretty runnable, with the connector between Brown's and Summit not so runnable.  Still doing a little post-holing, but clear trails, if the weather keeps up, are a mere few weeks away.  Awesome!


Fri. March 30 - 5.5 miles in 38 pace (6:54 pace).  Friday form work with El Jefe at the Fieldhouse.  2x form drills with 5x2-lappers (360m) in 69-71 sec with one-lap jog rest in 60 sec.  I hit the last 2-lapper in 59 sec just to blow out the tubes a little.  Felt good.


Sat. March 31 - 18 miles in 2:15 (7:30 pace).  Colina de Pilota long run.  El Jefe, Brian and I made a foray up and down at a pretty dang good pace.  Brian and I ran the damn thing faster (~1:55 pace) than I raced it last year (1:59).  I felt surprisingly good since I hadn't done a long run in weeks.  Great and productive run.


___________________________________________________
January Miles: 205 (25:42 running time)
February Miles: 190 (22:28 running time)
March Miles: 133 (18:49 running time)


Total: 528 (56:59 running time)
___________________________________________________


Sun. April 1 - 9 miles in 59 min (6:29 pace).  Western Hills + Lions and Frontier Parks loop, Cheyenne.  Beautiful day in Cheyenne, so I ran an old favorite.  Felt fast and loose considering the long run yesterday.  Awesome!


Totals:
Week's Miles: 59
Running Time: 7:01
Year to Date: 537 (57:58 running time)


Gear: Asics Sky Speed (216 miles) Saucony Peregrine (261 miles) New Balance 101 (191 miles)