Week Ending June 1

Mon. May 26 - Left Jackson around 11:30 and spent the afternoon driving back to Cheyenne.  I was going to go for a short run when I got home, but I was starving and three nights of sleeping on the ground left me a little sore.  I chose to eat and chill instead.

Tues. May 27 - 8M in 1:04.  Easy run up at Happy Jack on my way home from work.  Trails are still sloppy in some places but are drying out quickly.  I ran out Ridge Trail to Headquarters/Overlook, out Browns Landing and in on Summit.  I generally despise running in the evening, but I want to start getting on the trails more (running the Greenway everyday is not the best training for 32 miles on mountain trails), and it's very easy to stop at the Jack on my way back over the hill.  Plus, it allows me an extra hour of sleep in the morning, and rest has become a pressing issue lately.  I'm old and tired.

Wed. May 28 - 11M in 1:16.  2M warm-up, then 8x5min at tempo pace with 30 second jog rests in between, 2M cool down.  I felt like I struggled on the last one, but I covered seven miles in the 40min of tempo.  I am satisfied with that. 

Thurs. May 29 - 5.5M in :45.  Quick out-and-back on Ridge/Headquarters/Overlook.  My calves were trashed from the previous day's workout.  Something about the Merrell flats I've been using has a tendency to destroy my calves.  I thought I had been getting used to them, but I guess one week off from using them for a workout or two brought me back to ground zero.

Fri. May 30 - 5M in :39.  Quick and easy morning run on the Greenway.  Calves are still pretty tight.  Lame.

Sat. May 31 - 10.5M in 1:30.  Silent Trails loop in the morning.  My calves were still a little tight, so I took the course conservatively.  The Bitch is still there in all its glory, but the long runs and Towers time-trials are certainly helping my climbing.  I am now mediocre at it.  But still pretty bad.

January: 169 (20:48)
February: 108 (14:32)
March: 200 (31:15)
April: 208 (25:37)
May: 270 (40:19)
Year to Date: 954 (132:31)

Sun. June 1 - 24M in 3:52.  Chris and I once again went south for the last true long run before Bighorn.  We went out Blue Sky, then hopped over the hogback via Rimrock Trail to Coyote Ridge, came back up-and-over, then out to Devil's Backbone and back in on Blue Sky.  

Blue Sky Trail.

Coming up out of Coyote Ridge Natural Area on the Rimrock Trail.

I refuse to participate in anymore of Chris's selfies.

Around the Laughing Horse Loop on the way back, mile 17 or so, I started to overheat badly.  The temperature had risen past 80F during the run, and the 80% humidity, coupled with a stifling lack of air movement (first time in my life I begged for wind), made for a suffocating few miles.  Most of the trails there are completely exposed, so we found one small shady spot on the trail and sat for a second.  I popped some endurolytes and ate the rest of the salty snacks I had.  

Avoiding heat stroke.

I cooled off in the shade for a bit and then hiked a mile or so down the trail to a small stream crossing which was thankfully in the shade of a large cottonwood.  I soaked my hat and shirt in that beautiful cool water and was able to pull it together for the last few miles.  And as is the ritual, Chris and I went directly to the nearest Chipotle for calories in burrito form.

Week's Total: 64M (9:06)
Year to Date: 978 (136:23)

*Photos: Chris Schabron*

Grand Teton NP and an Easy Week

I did not recover well last week from the mileage I had done the previous weeks.  I'm not really sure why.  I put in 31 miles by last Thursday and then decided some hiking over the weekend was as ambitious as I felt like being.  My run Thursday night along the Canyons trail at Curt Gowdy was particularly blah.  I had nothing in my legs.  And I picked up a couple ticks to boot.  Ticks are the worst.

I took off Friday for a rendezvous with Elizabeth in Grand Teton National Park.  While those mountains, as usual, were stunning, seeing her overshadowed the brilliant peaks.  Every moment with her is amazing.  I am forever gone over her.  Gone over the moon.  Gone head-over-heels.  Gone, man, gone.

Taggart Lake and Grand Teton.

Altar inside the Chapel of the Transfiguration.  I don't hold any specific religious beliefs, but I can understand having a spiritual experience in a place like this.

Sunset at Jenny Lake.

Teewinot and Jenny Lake.

Hidden Falls.

Los osos grises near Jackson Lake.

Teton Range, Wyoming.

I'm putting in a few miles this week and next, including a planned 24-mile run this Sunday.  Pilot Hill is next Saturday, and a warm-up and cool down around the race will give me 20+ for the day.  Then it's taper time for Bighorn.  The hay is in the barn.

Weeks Ending May 11 & May 18

Mon. May 5 - 5 miles in 39 min.  Easy recovery run on the Greenway in Cheyenne.  My foot was a little banged up, but it seems to have worked itself out.

Tues. May 6 - 11 miles in 1:19.  2 mile warm-up, then 6x5 min at tempo pace with 3 min jog rests.  The first one was a little sluggish, but then I got moving.  Covered seven miles during the workout.  2 mile cool down.  The Greenway is a really great place to do tempo workouts.

Wed. May 7 - 9 miles in 1:05.  Recovery run through Western Hills, the Greenway, and around both Lions and Frontier parks.

Thurs. May 8 - AM - 5 miles in 42 min.  Very easy morning run in the prairie east of Laramie.

PM - 9 miles in 1:20.  Went down to FoCo for a Towers session.  2 mile warm-up before hitting the climb.  The lower portion was sloppy with mud, and the rain they had down there all day made for one humid evening.  Made the climb in 36:30 and descent in 27.  Still not climbing it great, but I can tell it's making me stronger on other runs and on less severe climbs.

Fri. May 9 - 5 miles in 40 min.  Easy recovery run.

Sat. May 10 - 20 miles in 3:12.  It was obvious that I had run Towers about 36 hours before.  Chris and I started from Tie City and went out Upper UW, Headquarters, and Browns Landing.  Those trails are still very snowy and what isn't snow is running water and mud.  We took off down Blair Wallis, hit FR 700 toward Twin Mountain, then came around onto the Trudge loop.  We then went back in toward Reynolds Hill on Cowtrail before turning around, climbing up Blair Wallis to the Summit trail head, and back into Tie City.  I was feeling beat this whole run, and the last three miles were a struggle.  But, we got it done.

Sun. May 11 - Woke up to that wonderful blizzard.  Foot of snow.  Chose to stay inside and have a second cup of coffee.

Week's Total: 64 miles (8:57)

Mon. May 12 - 6.5 miles in 52 min.  I got stuck in Cheyenne thanks to the weather and didn't get out until late in the afternoon.  Cold, but the streets had cleared of snow.

Tues. May 13 - 11.5 miles in 1:21.  2 miles warm-up, then 4x10 min tempo segments with 2 min jog rest.  I ended up running around Lions Park since the tunnels of the Greenway were flooded from all the melting snow.  Cold morning, and I had to jump over ice patches on the path.  I felt sluggish, but came to find that I was hitting the tempo segments in ~5:40-5:45 pace.  I'll take that.  

Wed. May 14 - 9 miles in 1:07.  Recovery run around the old 'hood (Monterrey Heights), the golf course, and the new 'hood (Western Hills).  

Thurs. May 15 - 9 miles in 1:02.  2.5 mile warm-up to the Central track.  Then 12x400m with 100m jog (40sec) between.  Ran these between 78-80 seconds, which wasn't as fast as I wanted, but the 20mph wind hampered me a little.  On the cool down, my lower left leg/calf/achilles area was very tender and had me a little concerned.  I've had issues with that spot in the past.  I spent the following couple of days heating, icing, massaging, and stretching the hell out it.

Fri. May 16 - 8 miles in 1:00.  Easy out and back on the Greenway.  Left leg was still sore, but felt better.

Sat. May 17 - 10 miles in 1:14.  Another easy run.  Went down around the Capitol and both parks.  Humid morning, but no wind was unbelievably refreshing.

Sun. May 18 - 20 miles in 2:56.  Chris and I went south to FoCo for some trail fun since Happy Jack is still under snow.  We ran the entirety of Blue Sky down to Devil's Backbone, then came back and added Indian Summer.  I felt leaps and bounds better than I did on last week's long run.  It got warm by the end, and the trails get pretty busy in the late morning.  Chris had an off day and didn't feel as good as I did.  He fell hard around mile 19.  Really hard.  Poor kid had a bad day at the office.  That happens.

Week's Total: 74 miles (9:31)
Year to Date: 869 miles

Lake Lowell Half-Marathon, End of April, Focus Moving Forward

It has been several weeks now since I raced the Lake Lowell Half, so maybe I should say a thing or two about it.  Lake Lowell is way the hell out in Nampa, and the weather wasn't great.  It was significantly cooler that morning than it had been the rest of the week I was up there, and the wind was howling out in Idaho wine/ag country (or whatever it is they are cultivating out there).  Reminded me of Wyoming wind, which is not a welcome thing ever, let alone on race day.

Now that I am writing this, I realize there is not much to say about this race.  I led from start to finish, fighting the wind on my own every step of the way on the first half of the out-and-back course.  The course was pretty flat and has the potential to be fairly fast on a less windy day.  I settled into a comfortable 6 minute per mile pace and just went with it.  At no point did I feel like I was struggling or working too hard.  Which is good.  That means my threshold fitness is coming around.  That will be beneficial for some ultras this summer and maybe a marathon this fall.

Somewhere around mile 8?

The second half of the race was much easier with a tailwind.  I finished in 1:20:11, which beat second place by just a hair under 10 minutes.  I thought, "Idaho has some faster folks somewhere, right?"  Looking at the results from The Race to Robie Creek, I think I found them.

Bringing home the bacon.

I also get the impression that, while I know there is a strong outdoor and running culture in Boise, it's not on the level of that which exists along the Front Range.  1:20 ain't winning shit in Colorado.  That said, I can't wait to get up there and become a part of it.

While it wasn't the most inspired course, and the weather wasn't great, which can't be helped, it was a well-organized race and they sure gave me a helluva lot of swag for not running all that fast.  My main prize was a free pair of Pearl Izumi shoes.  I went to Shu's Idaho Running to claim my prize in the form of some Trail N1s which I am thoroughly digging thus far. 

I hate to speak of times my feet can't run, but I think on a day with no wind and some fast dudes, I can run a 75, maybe 74-minute half right now.  And something about the half intrigues me.  I think it could potentially be a very good racing distance for me.  A nice combination of endurance and speed.

But, first things first.  Bighorn is looming on the horizon.  I have been stepping up the mileage and incorporating workouts lifted from Jack Daniels.  I am combining one or two of his marathon training workouts a week with Towers every other Thursday and a renewed focus on those pesky long runs on either Saturday or Sunday.  Those runs are, from now on, all on dirt and hopefully include some climbing.  Last week's 15-miler was up and down Pilot Hill.  I may do the same thing this weekend.  Or head south and get into the Quad Rock course.  

I did boycott the last two days because the weather was nothing short of bullshit.  Rain, snow, colder temps, and the wind.  My god, the wind.  I am not running in that anymore.  The result is that my planned 70 mile week just turned into a 50-55 mile week.  That's okay, because I had already gone up the previous two weeks (hitting 60 last week).  I was probably getting ready to make the mistake of trying to go up in mileage three weeks in a row.  I already know from years of experience that I don't handle that well.  So I will go up next week and the following week, in which I am gunning for 80.  I haven't touched 80 in nearly eight years.  After that, it's a matter of maintaining for a week or two before tapering for Bighorn.

Also, I think the gauntlet may be thrown down at Pilot Hill this year.  Chris is in great shape.  He destroyed Towers last week.  I climb like dog doo, but I think another month of miles will put me in a pretty good position.  And there's always the boys from down south.  They are tough as coffin nails on that course.

March 3-9: 42 miles

March 10-16: 45 miles

March 17-23: 42 miles

March 24-30: 52 miles

March 31-April 6: 52 miles

April 7-13: 44 miles

April 14-20: 54 miles

April 21-27: 60 miles

March Miles: 200

April Miles: 208

Year to Date: 684 (as of April 30)

March

Running behind as usual.  The past couple of weeks have been busy but productive.  I have been running more, working a lot, and travelling.  And I found some inspiration to re-engage in my academic life.  That thesis...it finally has a beginning.

March was considerably more productive running-wise than February.  I got 200 miles in for the month and am accumulating a nice mileage base.  I have started throwing in a workout or two every week; focusing on longer, marathon-oriented type threshold work, a form/plyo/short speed workout, hill climbing, and the weekend long run.  

I have been down to Fort Collins twice for a Towers time-trial.  The first one was productive.  I made the ascent in 35 minutes and felt like it got easier as I continued up.  The second one did not go well.  From the start, I knew I did not have anything in my legs.  I forced myself halfway up and then turned around.  I'll give it another go in a couple weeks.  

I am heading up to Boise this coming week for a visit, a job hunt, a show, and a race.  And an anniversary.  From what I've heard, it is actually spring in Boise.  That sounds lovely.

The race I mentioned is the Lake Lowell Half-Marathon.  Elizabeth and I will be heading out to Nampa Sunday morning for what will hopefully be a race of PRs for the E&R household.  It sounds like her training has been going well, and I feel like I am in a better place training-wise than I was for Horsetooth two years ago, which has been my only other half-marathon.  The course is fairly flat and an out-and-back, and Nampa sits at ~2500 feet above sea level.  That should work in my favor.

Elizabeth and I met up in Moab a couple weekends ago for three nights of camping, a couple of beautiful hikes, some semi-successful camp dinners, and a little touristic sightseeing.  I love the canyons.  I love that woman.

Being tourists.

Needles District-Canyonlands NP.  La Sal Range on the horizon.

Needles.

Confluence of the Green (L) and Colorado (R) Rivers.

Newspaper Rock.

Neck Spring Canyon hike.

Elizabeth enjoys the Island In the Sky view.

2014 Twin Mountain Trudge

Last year, after my fifth consecutive Twin Mountain Trudge, I was gifted my five-year "Mountain Masochist" jacket and told myself, "That's enough."  I then went ahead and registered for the race again this year.  It's hard, nigh impossible, to fix stupid.

The weather this winter has been of average potency, but I was concerned about snow level come race day.  Compared to this time last year, there is significantly more snow in the high country of southeast Wyoming.  Reports from a couple weeks before the race described snow levels rivaling the most extreme Trudge years (2008, according to folklore, being the worst).  However, a few warm days and a cessation of snowfall helped bring snow levels down to manageable.

Quite the scene for a race.

The Trudge is never without a card up its sleeve.  Weather did roll in the night before the race, and by the time Chris and I were leaving Cheyenne, temperatures were in the single digits, and the roads were slick and covered in snow.  After a long hour in the truck, we made it to base camp in time for the sun to come out.  The other miracle was the lack of wind.  This was the least windy Trudge I have experienced.

We gathered for Alec's pre-race sermon and then hit the road.  The start of the Trudge is always a paradox.  It is cold while one is milling around waiting for the start, so extra layers are necessary.  However, after a mile or two, those layers become swelteringly hot and shedding them is a necessity.  I wish there was a way around this.  I have yet to figure it out on my own.

Me: "Chris, you're going to want to take it easy at the start."  Chris, above, clearly not following my advice.

Chris and Kyle took the race out hard.  I decided not to get sucked into that again this year.  The Trudge truly is an exercise of slow and steady.  It's taken me five years to figure that out.  Again, you can't fix stupid.

I hung with a couple of others for the first three or so miles.  I had to stop to remove my jacket, and I went easy through sections of deeper snow.  I hovered around third to seventh place, content to let the race come to me.  Veteran trudgers know that the crucible of the race awaits on the south side of Twin Mountain in Devil's Backbone (or Playground) and the Skeleton Trail.

As we came out of the deep snow in the trees and onto FR707 heading to the Twin Mountain trail, I felt good and made a move on the somewhat bare road.  I went around the two guys in front of me and moved quickly along the TM trail.  I felt good and choose to push the pace on that section.  I could tell I had opened up a gap on those behind me, and I wondered just how far ahead of me Chris and Kyle were.  I could tell from their prints in the snow that they were running together, going back-and-forth.  Since they were both Trudge virgins, I hoped they were hammering each other to the point that, if I kept things steady, they might blow-up and come back to me.  What did happen was that they simply pushed each other to go faster until the end.

I got up Fenceline without much difficulty and moved on to the Devil's Loop.  My stomach was not feeling great that morning, the lingering effects of a bug I had the previous week, but I decided it was probably time to force down some food.  I grabbed one of my patented sweet potato and black bean burritos and munched on it while I descended to the creek.  However, I failed to pull my foot all the way out of a post hole and clipped my microspikes on the icy crust, sending me sprawling on the ground.  I fell on my shoulder in order to save the burrito in my hand.  Which I did.  Like a boss.

Devil's Loop is always tough.  I felt like the snow levels on the north side of Twin Mountain and along Devil's Loop were about the highest I had ever experienced.  There were no more bare spots from there all the way to near the finish.  It was ankle to near-knee deep snow the whole way.

I realized that I wasn't gaining ground on the two in front of me, so I focused on just trying to move as quickly as possible to remain in front of those behind me.  I trudged and ran when I could and just held on.  I told myself before the race not to get frustrated like I always do.  The trudge is a thing to be endured.  I cannot impose my will upon it.  I have to take what it gives me.  I think the change in attitude made a world of difference.

Trudging away.

I was actually not angry.  The beard hides emotion.

I came off the trail and back onto the old two-track that takes us into the finish and took a look behind to see if anyone was catching me.  I saw a runner coming off the hill, but probably several minutes back, so I thought, "Okay, I have third place wrapped-up."  I was tired by that point, and knew I had one more hill to go into the finish, so I jogged on the road when I could.  As I got to the last hill, I took one more look and saw that the runner behind me had made up significant time.  "Crap," I thought, "now I am going to have to run to finish."  So I did and it wasn't much fun.  I ended up keeping about two minutes on the other runner, Peter Jones, who then went out for a second loop and would win the 22-Miler.  Oh well, I still got done first.

Number six in the bag.  Black and white makes it much more dramatic.

I was happy with myself for not getting all pissy about the conditions and for not trying to go as fast as I thought I should.  Again, you only go as fast as the Trudge wants you to.  And other than a little soreness in my shoulders and back, mostly from my pack, I was in great shape after.  I usually can't walk for several days after a Trudge.  I haven't missed a running day since.  By far the best I have ever felt post-Trudge.

With that, Trudge Number Six was a resounding success for me.  I was well under three hours in conditions similar to when I have taken 3.5 hours to complete this course, and the third place finish is my highest ranking since I won the 2009 edition in arguably the easiest year conditions-wise.  Considering my planned move to Boise sometime in the coming months, I feel this may be my final Trudge for some time.  If so, what good way to finish out my run.

Evan takes a break from the fat bikes to pull down a fifth place, sub-3 hour finish.

Sandra always has a smile on her face.  We should all model our attitudes similarly.

Artery loves this shit.

Jefe also loves this shit.

New this year.  Post-race cigars.  BAMFs.  Would have liked to partake, but my lungs said, "Hell no."

A Trudge tradition.  Dry clothes, chairs, beers, and cheering for other finishers.  Jefe, Sandra, me, Evan.

Clayton expresses his thoughts to Alec about his race.  Clayton will be back next year.

*All photos: Wendy Perkins for Journeyman Adventures.

Forever Trapped in February...

I am trying to be more optimistic and positive, but I am not the least bit remorseful to see February hit the damn road.  The weather here in Big Wonderful has been even more mercurial of late than usual.  It has alternated between days of 40 degrees or warmer and days of zero degrees and snow.  That vacillation has lead to a near constant frozen glaze on the roads that makes running (and driving) a crap shoot at best, downright threatening to life and limb at worst.  I look forward to a time when I can go for a run and have confidence that my next step will not lead to injury.

I have also missed six days of running this past month.  I have been fighting off a bug that began as a touch of the flu, then morphed into a head cold, then hit my stomach.  I've been feeling it for the better part of three weeks.  The runs I did get in were short, slow, and not particularly enjoyable thanks to the aforementioned ailments and weather.

Hit the bricks, February.

March welcomed us with the 10th anniversary of the sadism that is the Twin Mountain Trudge.  From the frying pan into the fire...

Finishing my sixth Trudge in a row.  Photo: Lindsay Sweley.

I will dedicate a proper post to that adventure soon.  The Trudge deserves that much.

With improving weather and a little inspiration, I am again filled with wanderlust.  I am in the process of outfitting my pick-up for camping purposes.  I have it rigged-out so that I can sleep in the back and have storage for gear.  It can be used as a base camp from which I can make forays into the wild.  That has always been my dream.  Time to realize it.

Elizabeth and I have been trying to see each other every month.  I went to Boise in January, she came to Wyoming last month, and this month we are planning to meet in the middle.  The middle, in this case, being Moab.  The canyons and desert always have an ability to sooth my wanderlust.  The vastness of the space has a unique ability to add perspective to my life.  And going in March has always offered a welcome respite from the travails of Wyoming winters.