Run Rabbit Run 100 - Preview

INTRO 

100 miles, actually according to the Run Rabbit Run website more like 101.9 miles.  That is the distance that I hope to cover by foot (via running, walking...perhaps even crawling) this upcoming weekend.  This will be my first stab at the 100 mile distance and I am anxiously nervous and excited at the same time. With about 21,000' vertical feet of uphill climbing and 21,000' of downhill running, its not gonna be a walk in the park.  A lot of planning, more so than any other race I have ever run, is going into this race. Trying to find a few people to take time off work and drive up to the mountains for a few days, stay up all night and help crew me -- has not been an easy task.   However, my two brother in laws have graciously stepped up to help me out and be my crew. I am very thankful for the support of my family and friends as I embark on this crazy 100 mile all day and all night adventure!

GOALS

Well,  in terms of goals I have several and they range anything from finishing the race by limping across the finish line on one leg with vomit on my shirt, pulling up the rear -- barely under the time cutoff, dazed and confused, hungry, tired, thirsty, in a half sleep deprived stupor -- stumbling with every step I take. Wishing I hadn't taken the wrong turn during the night and spending several hours walking in circles... completely lost in the woods. Day dreaming of milk and cookies.

......all the way to setting off on a scorching hot pace, hammering the downhills and hauling tail up the climbs. Pulling away from the field on a blistering pace. Not breaking a sweat until mile 70.  Digging deep and throwing any pain or discomfort off to the side and be completely focused and winning by a few miles. Flying down from the top of Mt Werner to the finish in an effortless 100 mile debut. Performing the moonwalk and throwing in a few back flips as I cross the finish line.   Getting a running sponsorship on the spot and still have enough in the tank for a 10 mile cool down.  :-)

ahhh, to dream! ---  Actually my goals fit somewhere in the middle of those...

GOALS:

1) Finish :-)

2) Finish under 24 hours

3) Finish under 20 hours

4) Top 10

5) Top 5

6) Top 3

7) See example number 2 above :-)

A few other side goals would include:

- Not getting lost at night

- Avoiding severe stomach issues/muscle cramps

- Eat and drink consistently throughout

PREDICTIONS

There is a pretty stacked field, and so with the thought of anything can happen during a 100 mile run, making predictions is tough.  Although there are a few runners I believe will be chasing the podium spots most of the way.

-Tim Olsen 

- Mike Wolf

- Dylan Bowman

Then there are a few dark horses in the field. Arnulfo Quimare and Miguel Lara --- both Tarahumara, making their debut on America soil.  For those that dont know these guys are the stars of the little known book called "Born to Run".  Its gonna be interesting to see how they perform against some of the top US runners.

There are few others: Karl Melzer and Duncan Callahan who will be running hard all day as well.

I am looking forward to see how it pans out throughout the run!

THOUGHTS

I have heard all sorts of advice leading up to this run.---  "eat early and often", "walk every uphill", "dont take too much time at the aid stations", "dont hurry through the aid stations"," try not to sit down", "be sure to sit down and let your legs recover", " get in 300 calories an hour", "take salt tabs", "eat several meals along the way", "dont worry about things", "patience is the key" ----- etc etc.....

Some of that advice I will most definitely use!

I honestly have no idea how I will do...or feel during the run.  I have been sick for about 2 weeks (on and off) and hoping that doesnt come into play later in the run. I have never ran for 100 miles before so there is a huge x-factor or the unknown that has captivated me.

This race will be different for all runners for a few reasons:

- There are actually two "heats", a tortoise and hare.  The Tortoise starts at 8am (I believe) and the Hare a few hours later at 1pm on Friday. I will be in the Hare group. (although at times running more like a tortoise most likely). Despite there being a  "slower" and "faster" heat, I am confident that although the top times will be in the Hare group, there will be much over laping in overall times between the two groups.

- The 1pm group is not allowed pacers!  This is going to require a mental focus of steel to get through the night running portions without someone there to guide you, motivate you and lift your spirits as you proceed to slog your way up and over mountains.  How will some of the elites handle this?  Most, if not all 100 milers, are used to having pacers along side them in the later stages of the race. This aspect alone might help weed out the top 3 overall finishers. Should be interesting.

- The final spot along the course that allows crew access is around mile 70 (or so), which means the final 30 miles will be run without the aid of your crew AND without the aid of a pacer!  Yikes!

I am excited to get going and am looking forward to getting in a good run this weekend!

For those that want to follow my suffering...errr running, from the comfort of your couch....you can follow my progress on the website:

http://runrabbitrunsteamboat.com/athlete-tracking

Click on the 100 mile Hare link and click on my name. As I enter and exit the aid stations along the way they will update the site to my overall place, aid station splits, pace...etc   Its actually really cool!

The site will be active and my name added to the list once the races begins.

1pm - Mountain time!

I will write up an aid station to aid station Race Report in the days following the run.

Thanks and wish me luck!

RECAP : Sept 3 - Sept 9

--- Monday - 09/03/12 ---

OFF

Labor Day.  Felt pretty lousy as the afternoon wore on.  Definitely caught some sort of bug over the weekend. Zero energy, sore throat, muscle and joint aches, and felt like my head was under water. Ughh!


--- Tuesday - 09/04/12 ---

PM - easy running.  Ran 4 laps around Troutman park from home - 28 minutes

Started at about 8pm. super easy jogging on grass. Felt pretty lousy with this head cold.  Zero energy again. 
Worked a half day at work, came home and crashed.


--- Wednesday - 09/05/12 ---

OFF
  
Took the day off work and stayed home with Elli (who is still not 100% herself).  Napped for a little over 2 hours, during Elli's nap.  
Still feeling pretty lousy.  Stuffed up, zero energy -- just the thought of running 10 miles makes me want to curl up on the couch and sleep all day.  Not exactly how I want to feel 10 days before a 100 miler.
But I have 10 days to get back on the horse and back to a strong and healthy body.


--- Thursday - 09/06/12 ---

Pineridge - 34:02

My body wanted to skip this easy run, my brain wanted to get in some sort of a half-way pathetically easy run during the week.
Still not feeling well....60%, if I had to put a number on it.  
Lungs felt way too labored for this easy jog effort.
Chugging the vitamin C, sucking zinc lozenges, and pounding the day-quil --- all day today.    


--- Friday - 09/07/12 ---

OFF

Today is Andreas birthday and have a fun evening planned for us.  Took off the last few hours of work and slept for an hour or so before waking up and picking up Elli from daycare.
Feeling about 70% (at best).
Gone are the muscle aches and overall feeling of having my head under water, but the ridiculously low energy levels are still in full effect. Walking to and from our department break room from my office leaves me wanting to crash on a couch for a few hours.   
Took the day off from running and decided a well needed nap would be a better option based on my current health status.  And with the 100 miler being just exactly 1 week away, any extra training I get in from here on out will be far less important than the needed rest and recovery I need to be 100% when I toe the line next Friday.
Had my folks watch Elli for a few hours while I took Andrea out to a dinner and movie in the evening for her birthday.  Fun evening.
I think I downed about 15 Emergen-C  packets today.


--- Saturday - 09/08/12 ---

Pineridge - 1/2 lap through Pineridge - 32 minutes

My amazing wife let me sleep in this morning, while her and Elli spent the morning at the farmers market.  I got a solid 11 hours of sleep last night, plus an additional 2 hour nap in the afternoon during Ellis naptime.

Starting from the Dog park I ran a 1/2 lap around pineridge.  The extra rest this morning felt great!  
Felt better today, not 100% -- but spent this short run trying to get my legs back under me.  Easy effort all the way. 
.....almost there!


--- Sunday - 09/08/12 ---

Foothills Trail (short loop) - 33:50

First run in about a week that I started to feel better. Legs and energy felt good.  Still stuffed up, slighty congested.  Took some anti-histamine in the afternoon and that seemed to work.
Easy effort.

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Well, its not how I pictured it, but it is what it is.  I was planning on tapering but I wasnt planning on feeling like crud the entire week. I tried to ride the thin line of tapering and still getting in a handful of easy miles, with getting healthy and back to 100%. Ideally, I would have needed to take off the entire week I think to get back to full health sooner. But I still wanted to keep my legs moving a little and not allow too much time off. There is a fine line between healthy tapering and losing fitness and possibly even gain a couple of pounds with too much rest or complete down time.
Nonetheless, the week is behind me and my first 100 miler is right around the corner. Planning, preparation, and logistics for race day are in the works.

I will write up a race preview the day or two before the race and jot down some of my thoughts, ideas, concerns, predictions, goals.....etc  about running 100 miles through mountains (mostly).

   

RECAP : August 27 - Sept 2

--- Monday - 08/27/12 ---

Foothill Trail (long loop) - 48:31

Felt great. easy effort.


--- Tuesday - 08/28/12 ---

Horsetooth Rock Summit - 1hr 10 min

Felt good.  Rock trail up, South ridge down.


--- Wednesday - 08/29/12 ---

Pineridge - 33:23

Started from Maxwell TH.   


--- Thursday - 08/30/12 ---

Foothills Trail (short loop) - 34:38

Super easy effort. 


--- Friday - 08/31/12 ---

PM - Pineridge loop - 42:10

Started this run at 10pm.  Wanted to test out some easy night running with a light, since I will be running many hours in the darkness of the night in a couple of weeks -- during the Steamboat 100 miler.

Started from the dog park and ran one lap around Pineridge.  The moon tonight was bright and for at least half the run I ran with the light turned off, as there was plenty of moon light shining down on the trail ahead.

I love running at night...cooler temps, nice calm breeze, quiet and peaceful...ahhh, love each and every step of it!


--- Saturday - 09/01/12 ---

Horsetooth Park - 1hr 33 min    

 Started from the Horsetooth liquor store.  When I got to the main trail-head I got stopped by the lady checking for parking permits. Apparently, I am supposed to carry my parking permit with me when running into the park.  I guess this rule has been around for sometime, according to her.  But this was the  first time ever that I had been asked to see my permit....while running into the park.  

Anyway --- workout went like this:

Main TH  > Falls > Spring Creek > up Wathan > down Rock trail > Soderberg > Spring Creek > Stout > down Towers > Swan Johnson > Soderberg TH > Inlet Bay > back to truck

Felt really good.  Ran the ups and downs at a consistent effort, nothing hard....but comfortable effort.


--- Sunday - 09/02/12 ---

OFF 

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Started to feel...off, starting on Sunday.  Elli was sick with a cough and runny nose all Saturday, and so I am guessing I caught a little of what she had.  Not exactly what I want 2 weeks out of running my first 100 miler in the mountains.  So I took Sunday off to rest.  

The Next 2 weeks I will be in taper mode, so easy running and cutting back mileage.    

RECAP : August 20 - August 26

--- Monday - 08/20/12 ---

Foothills Trail (short loop) - 31:55


--- Tuesday - 08/21/12 ---

Foothills Trail (long loop) - 47:54


--- Wednesday - 08/22/12 ---

AM - easy 4 laps around troutman park from home. Ran on grass. 27 minutes.

PM - Towers time trial : 29:36 (first sub 30!)

Ran easy effort from Horsetooth liquor store to Soderberg TH.  Then ran the Towers time trial and back to down and over to truck the same way.

Tower Splits along the way:

Stout- 8:40
Loggers- 13:10
Carey Springs- 18:25
Mill Creek- 24:55

Legs felt perfect today.  Effort on the climbs felt easy. I didnt really start to feel any zing in the legs until I got near the Herrington turn off.  From here on in, the legs felt good for the most part -- Only felt a little discomfort in the quads the last few meters of each of the hill climbs.  then as soon as the trail evened out, after each of the small climbs, my legs went from starting to feel the burn...to feeling great and allowed me to pick up the pace slightly on the less steep sections, which in turn, helped to buffer the slower paced grind of the steep stuff.
Lungs were definitely huffing it on the way up.  Just kept telling myself.."2 more miles, 1 more mile, 5 more minutes...etc"  ugh!
Got to the top, stopped my watch and fell to my knees for a couple of minutes before I caught my breathe and felt well enough to get up and run back down.

First Towers time trial this year --- and a PR...sub 30!

Total Time on the day : 1hr 42 minutes


--- Thursday - 08/23/12 ---

Pineridge (short loop) - 26:34

Easy recovery day.


--- Friday - 08/24/12 ---

4 X Horsetooth Rock Summits - 4hrs 16 minutes

Workout went like this:

Starting from the Horsetooth liquor store, I ran up to the main TH.  I then ran 4 up and down repeats of horsetooth rock. Coming back down to the main TH before heading back up.

The first repeat I carried a pack with me carrying GU's and some snacks.  When I got to the top I stashed my pack behind a bush so that I would be able to throw back some calories after every summit.  At the bottom of every repeat I refilled my water bottle.  Planning it this way allowed me to refill water at the bottom and consume food up top.

4 hours and 16 minutes include the run up from my truck and the run back down at the end.  It also includes stopping briefly to refill and a few seconds up top to grab some food.

Got in about 6,200' vertical.  The sun was hot, but having multiple options to get to the summit and multiple options to get back down to the trailhead made the run that more interesting....and enjoyable.  I basically alternated between running the Rock Trail and South Ridge options during the run.

Stopped to snap a few pics from up top after my 4th, and final repeat of the day:

Felt good to get in a nice groove for a few hours of nothing but alternating between a few uphill miles followed by a few downhill miles.  I really enjoy these training runs!


--- Saturday - 08/25/12 ---

Pineridge - 41:35

Started from the dog park. One easy lap around Pineridge.


--- Sunday - 08/26/12 ---

Easy running in the PM  around town - 45 minutes

Got in a late evening run after the sun went down.  Ran through town on the road.


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• On top of whatever mileage I logged while running this week, I also went out of my way at work to be on my feet as much as possible throughout the day during my work inspections.  I estimated an average of 4-5 miles a day of walking (including up and down multiple flights of stairs), everyday this week at work.
• Decided to run the Run Rabbit Run 100 miler in a few weeks.  Working on logistics, travel, lodging, crew...etc.  Really excited and really nervous about the idea of getting through a 100 mile trail race up in the mountains with nearly 21,000 vertical ft. 
• If anyone wants to help crew me, let me know!   I have one person as of this point (2 weeks to go) who has committed to helping me out. I am sure he would enjoy some company.

RECAP : August 13 - August 19

--- Monday - 08/13/12 ---

OFF


--- Tuesday - 08/14/12 ---

Pineridge - 32:49


--- Wednesday - 08/15/12 ---

Foothills Trail (medium loop) - 37:20


--- Thursday - 08/16/12 ---

Horsetooth Mtn Park - 1:55

Workout went like this:

Horsetooth liquor store > Main TH > South Ridge > Rock Trail > Westridge > Towers > Mill Creek > Loggers > Carey Springs > Towers > Herrington > Spring Creek > falls > main TH > back down to truck.


--- Friday - 08/17/12 ---

Foothills Trail - 1:16

Workout went like this:

Maxwell TH > foothill trails > up and over Centennial rd > Foothills trail (shoreline) > crossed over Centennial rd to Foothills trail (east side of centennial) > dropped down and ran past Atmos/Laporte rd > up hill to North dam > Foothills Trail (south) > Shoreline > back down behind stadium > Maxwell TH


--- Saturday - 08/18/12 ---

OFF

Spent the morning cheering on Steve at the Pikes Peak Ascent.

Start of the Ascent:

After the gun went off, myself and Steves wife and daughter drove up to the top and hung out there for a few hours waiting for the lead runners...and Steve to cross the finish line. Since Elli is a little to young to take up to 14,100+ ft, Andrea stayed back at the hotel and hung out with Elli for the morning.

Top 3 runners making their way across the finish line:

Jason Delaney - 1st - 2:13:18 

Rickey Gates - 2nd - 2:15:42

Ryan Hafer - 3rd - 2:16:34

First place female:

       Kim Dobson -  2:24:58

Kim took home $8,000 in prize money!

She broke the previous record of 2:33:31 from 1981. Kim took home $8,000 as follows:

$2,000 for the win

$5,000 (<2:30 time bounty)

$1,000 (time bonus for fastest Ascent of the weekend)

Now thats a nice payday!

Caught a glimpse of Kilian hanging around at the top (the day before his Pikes Peak Marathon victory!)

Steve making his way across the finish line, under 3 hours!  (2:55:54) - 32nd overall -- Good job Steve!

Felt great to hang out for a few hours at 14,000 ft.  Didnt have time to get in a run today, but just being surrounded in the atmosphere of todays race was a great motivator!

Felt surprisingly good to be a spectator for a change.  Was nice to see the lead runners crossing the line -- huffing and puffing like the rest of us.

Didnt have time to get in a run today. Drove over to the Springs in the afternoon and visited friends and had dinner at their place.

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• Really enjoyed spending several hours up at 14,000 ft over the weekend.  Watching all the runners in the pikes Ascent and marathon as well the Leadville 100..... really got me motivated and super psyched to get out the door!

• Its always a good thing to be surrounded in an atmosphere like this past weekend.

• Congrats to Steve....sub 3 hours!

• Pretty cool to see Kilian hanging out at the Summit of Pikes watching the Ascent.

RECAP : July 30 - August 12

--- Monday - 07/30/12 ---

OFF

work-work-work...busy, busy!


--- Tuesday - 07/31/12 ---

Pineridge + Foothills Trail (Short Loop) - 62 minutes

Started and ended at Maxwell TH. One lap of Pineridge then up the hill and back down.


--- Wednesday - 08/01/12 ---

Hosetooth Mtn Park - 2 hrs 7 minutes

Workout Went like this:

Horsetooth Liquor store > Inlet Bay > Soderberg TH > Swan Johnson > up Towers > Westridge > Rock Trail > South Ridge > Main TH > Falls > Stout > down Towers > Swan Johnson > Soderberg TH > Inlet Bay > back to truck

Was originally planning to run 90 minutes to 2 hours of hills repeats today.  But work this week has been insane and stressful at times.  I thought running up and down...up and down.....up and down....etc  didnt sound quite appealing today. And so I switched things up and decided to get in a solid 2 hr+ run in instead.

I was able to relax and not think about work, deadlines and other things that have been consuming my thoughts during the past few days or so.  I handed in a few hours of time at work so that I can get this run today -- and it was worth it!

Felt good and took the pace easy.

I think everyday at work needs a few hours of trail time to break up the day!  (I wish!)


--- Thursday - 08/02/12 ---

Foothills Trail (Medium Loop) - 41:20

Started from Maxwell TH.


--- Friday - 08/03/12 ---

Pineridge - 33:25

Started from Maxwell TH.  An easy run in light of tomorrows 3-2-1 workout up on Mount Evans.


--- Saturday - 08/04/12 ---

Mount Evans - 3-2-1's workout


Woke up early this morning to the tune of my phone buzzing letting me know that I got a text message.  It read something like "Just checking to see if you are up?" -- it was from Steve, and I was supposed to be at his house 5 minutes ago......5am!
 I Jumped out of bed , sent a quick "on my way..." reply ....threw on some clothes, grabbed my GU's and water bottles, gave Andrea a kiss goodbye.... and I was at Steves door in 10 minutes!

Unfortunately, in the scatter brained rush I made to get out the door, I forgot my watch on my dresser.  Ohh well....I guess I will just bum my splits and time from Steve for the day.  I also forgot my hat and gloves -- which were sitting under my watch...argh!

For those that are not familiar with the concept of a 3-2-1 workout, it is perhaps one of the best overall high altitude workouts that you can do without the pounding of high mileage (as the total miles of the run is only 12 miles), however, all 12 miles are run at an up and down continuous pace on a mountain between 13,500ft and 14,200ft.  Where there is a serious lack of oxygen!

It starts out with us driving up to the summit of Mount Evans (roughly 90 minutes or so from town).  We then proceed to jog down 3 miles, then turn around and run back up 3 miles to the summit -- then turn around and run back down 2 miles, then back up 2 miles again to the summit -- then finish with 1 mile back down, and then 1 final mile back up to the summit!   Wheeeww!  Its pretty exhausting -- but its one heck of a workout!
  The hardest part isnt the continuous uphill and downhill pounding (which can be rough enough on the quads) but it is the lack of oxygen throughout the entire run that makes this one special! It is a workout that you really cannot simulate (unless you own your own personal hyperbaric chamber) -- without stepping onto the mountainside.

Echo Lake -- the base of Mount Evans

The temperature at the summit was hovering around 30'ish degrees, with strong whipping winds!  I wore shorts, with 3 layers on top (2 long sleeves and a short sleeve).  I forgot my hat and gloves -- but thankfully Steve had an extra pair that I could borrow (a life saver!)
Temps back home were in the mid 90's --- 2 hours away and at 14,000+ ft...they were at least  60 degrees cooler!  Gotta love Colorado!

Overlooking a sea of clouds at 14,200 ft

Looking down on Summit Lake

The first mile of the 3 mile up section we hit in just about 8 min flat --- leaving me sucking wind the rest of the workout!   Since I didnt have a watch with me, I had to estimate my splits based on Steves watch.  All the rest of the mile splits for workout were between 9-10 min/pace.   We probably should have started out a little more conservative right off the gun....but we didnt, and I spent the next couple of hours trying to catch  my breathe.  This is one of my top favorite workouts to do. I dont do it very often, as it is generally a pain to try to find the time for it and trying to find a day that has decent weather to match.  If I could, this would be a weekly staple of my training!

I did have some digestive issues on the recovery jogs back down where I had to find a bush and relieve my situation. But other than that --- and trying to make up for the first hard mile push --- I felt pretty good.

The only other place, besides Mount Evans, that I have done 3-2-1's, is on Pikes Peak.  Which allows you to drive to the summit (14,100+ ft) and do the workout via the Barr trail.

I live for days like this!   A fantastic all-around workout and literally breathtaking views!

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--- Sunday - 08/05/12 ---

Horsetooth Mtn Park - 1hr 15 minutes

Workout went like this:

Horsetooth Liquor store > Main TH > South Ridge > Rock Trail > down Wathan > Spring Creek > Falls > Main TH > back down to truck

After yesterdays 3-2-1's --- 12 miles all between 13,000 and 14,200 ft --- the legs felt surprisingly solid today.  Felt great to be back at a lower 5,000 ft elevation here and town where I can fill my lungs up with air!

Todays effort was easy, but felt strong on the ups and downs.



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--- Monday - 08/06/12 ---

OFF

Busy day at work. Also felt good to throw in a recovery day from the fun weekend of high altitude running.


--- Tuesday - 08/07/12 ---

Speed Workout - 40 x 200m (100m recovery)

Workout Went like this:

1 lap warmup (was running late so cut it short)

-37
-35
-36
-36
-35
-35
-36
-35
-35
-36
-35
-35
-35
-35
-34
-34
-33
-33
-34
-35
-34
-35
-34
-34
-35
-33
-34
-34
-35
-33
-33
-33
-35
-36
-34
-34
-35
-35
-34
-34

Was running late in the morning and didnt have time for the warm up that I would have liked. Got to the track just after 6am (I was hoping to start running somewhere around 5:40am).

For some reason I was having some digestive issues during the workout and had to use the porto-potty after repeat #17 and then again after #24.  I was hoping to get in 50 repeats, but with getting a late start and a couple unplanned bathroom stops --- I had to cut it short at 40.  A quick shower and a walk across the street and I was back in the office ready to start work at 8am.

Legs felt good overall.  I took the pace conservative at the start and fell into a nice rhythm after the first 10 or so.  I wanted to keep the pace around 35 seconds, and keep the recovery short with a 100m easy jog.  Which I was able to do, except for the two short bathroom stops.  Other than that...it was a fantastic way to start out the day!

Really enjoyed the cooler morning temps for a change!



--- Wednesday - 08/08/12 ---

Foothills Trail (Short Loop) - 34:03

Easy effort after yesterdays speed session.  Legs a little stiff in places.


--- Thursday - 08/09/12 ---

OFF

Busy day at work. Plus having an off day to fully recover sounded like a great idea.


--- Friday - 08/10/12 ---

Foothills Trail (long loop to North dam) - 62 minutes

Starting from Maxwell TH. Ran up the hill, then ran along the shoreline - North - to the North dam. turned around and back the same way.

Legs felt much better today.  Fairly easy effort, ran the ups and downs with ease.


--- Saturday - 08/11/12 ---

Horsetooth Mtn Park - 2 hrs 3 minutes

Workout went like this:

Horsetooth Liquor Store > Main TH > Falls > Spring Creek > Herrington > Towers to Carey Springs > Loggers > up Mill Creek > down Towers > Herrington > Spring Creek > Falls > Main TH > back to truck

Started this run late morning and so the sun was already making things toasty towards the end of the workout.  I ran without a water bottle, sipping on some water from the fountain at the main TH at the start....and then sucked down what felt like a few pints of water at the end of the run at the main TH again.

It felt good to get out there this morning.  For me, some runs are more planned and structured, while others are made up on the fly to allow a sense of just running and enjoying everything around me -- a time to clear my head and really just focus on having a pleasant run in the mountains.  And todays run was just that!

All I knew was that I wanted to run for a couple of hours, but I didnt plan the route beforehand....I just took whatever trail sounded good at the moment without thinking too much of it.  And getting in a climb up Mill Creek felt really good.  I took the pace relatively easy for the most part.

Got back to my truck and sucked down some more water --- getting hot out!


--- Sunday - 08/12/12 ---

Pineridge + Foothills Trail (Short Loop) - 1 hr 12 minutes

Started and ended at Spring Canyon Park. Ran through Pineridge then through Maxwell TH, up the hill to centennial, turned around and back same way.

Felt good today.  Ran mid-day so temps were in the upper 80's / low 90's.....and with zero shade, it was toasty.  I didnt drink enough water in the morning and so I was parched at the halfway turn-around point.

Drank water when I got back to the truck...and cranked up the AC!



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Wow --  its been a super busy week.  Unfortunately...work related.
I havent had the time until now to update and post my last 2 weeks worth of trail running goodness.

• Two things that stand out to me are my bi-monthly "Ultra" long speed sessions and the 3-2-1 workout on Evans.  Both workouts really leave me feeling pretty spent, but in a good way.  I feel stronger and more confident after completing workouts like those.

• Getting the chance to get in some runs up in Horsetooth Mtn park have also been nice. I really enjoy running up there when I have the time.

• As mentioned...work has been brutal the past couple of weeks. I hope this comes to an end fairly soon.

• This weekend I think we will be staying down in Manitou to watch  Steve take on the Pikes Peak Ascent on Saturday and then watch the start (and maybe the finish ) of the Pikes Peak Marathon.  Or simply put :  Killian vs Krupicka  :-)    It should be a fantastic race!  Matt Carpenter holds a ridiculously fast course record (3:16:39 (set in 1993--- 2:01:06 Ascent split, 1:15:33 Descent split ---- one word...Insane!) on that course.  Not sure if the record is going down, but if anyone has a shot in his lifetime....it would be Killian. 
• *** Update - realized after this post that Krupicka is running Leadville 100 this year, not the Pikes Marathon.

• The Leadville 100 is also this upcoming weekend. A race that I was planning on registering for back in November but never materialized. And so I will be keeping tabs and getting updates throughout the weekend on that.  Rooting for Nick to make the podium!

RECAP : July 23 - July 29

--- Monday - 07/23/12 ---

OFF

Busy day at work. Decided to take the day off to rest.



--- Tuesday - 07/24/12 ---

Pineridge - 33:38

Easy effort around Pineridge. Another 90+ degree day.  Planning a long 800m track workout tomorrow, so decided to get out for an easy run to loosen up and be fresh for tomorrow.


--- Wednesday - 07/25/12 ---

Track Workout - 20 x 800m repeats with 100m recovery

Workout went like this:

1 mile warmup
20 x 800m's
-2:45
-2:45
-2:51
-2:48
-2:46
-2:46
-2:45
-2:46
-2:45
-2:44
-2:44
-2:47
-2:47
-2:44
-2:45
-2:44
-2:45
-2:47
-2:45
-2:44

.....1/2 mile cool down.
(All 100m recovery jog)

After repeat number 5, the sky opened up and ran the rest of the 800's alternating between either a downpour rain or little drizzle.  Either way, it was refreshing to run in the rain for a change...and really enjoyed the much cooler temps ( 75 degrees --- down from 92 at the start!)

Most 800's I have run in a single workout...and felt great.  I planned to keep the pace at about 2:50, but running slightly faster (2:46 or so...) felt like a nice comfortable pace to hold without red-lining it.

Solid track workout! 

On a side note --- Someone snagged one of my handheld bottles (carrying a GU) DURING my workout!  I placed a bottle every 200m so I would have some Gatorade goodness to gulp down every few repeats...only to realize during my cool down as I ran around the track to collect my bottle....that it was stolen!  Arggh!  Who does that??  I looked everywhere --- and nothing.
Anyway -- was kinda upset about that...



--- Thursday - 07/26/12 ---

Pineridge - 33:19

An easy scamper through pineridge to loosen up from yesterdays track run.  Quads felt good...calves felt sore and slightly tight.  Easy effort all the way. 
   

--- Friday - 07/27/12 ---

Manitou Incline + Barr Trail to Barr camp - 2hrs 20 minutes


Running the Barr Trail race on Pikes Peak a handful of times has always gave me an interest in taking a stab at running up the Incline, located right near the start of the Barr Trail race.
So I decided to take the day off work and drive the 2 hours down to Manitou for a solid 1 mile climb with 2,000 vertical ft! 

I parked my truck halfway up Ruxton Ave and ran an easy 4 minutes to the base of the Incline.

I stood there for a minute to gather myself as I stared up at this...

An uphill stair-master! -- 1 mile long!

As this was my first time on the Incline I wasnt really shooting for a particular ascent time.  I really just wanted to get a feel for how steep this climb would make my legs and lungs feel.

There were a handful of hikers along the way sitting down to take in some of the views and catch their breathe.  I guess I just assumed the Incline would be a fairly well maintained stair-stepper...so I was surprised to to see some of the more sketchy sections along the way.

The last 5 minutes or so up this climb is pretty darn steep -- like 68% grade steep!

Made it to the top in 21:27.

Some views from the top looking back down:

Downtown Manitou Springs

 After taking a minute at the top I continued on my to Barr camp and then turned around and ran back down Barr Trail back to my truck.
Temps were in the 90's at the end of the run and since I didnt carry any water with me (only my camera) -- I was thirsty!
Downed some water and headed back up to the Fort.

On my way back home I got stuck in traffic South of Denver. I guess a motorcycle crashed and they actually shut down the interstate.  UGhh!!
Long and extremely frustrating story short --- it took just over 4 hours to get home!  just brutal!


--- Saturday - 07/28/12 ---

Pineridge + Foothills Trail - 1hr 35 minutes

Starting from the dog park I ran through Pineridge --- through Maxwell TH -- and continued on up the hill and the medium loop course of Foothills Trail.  Ran back down into Pineridge, ran one lap and then finished back up at my truck.

Scorching hot day -- 98 degrees.  zero shade.

Legs felt good, just a little shaky from the 800's earlier in the week and the 1 mile vertical climb from yesterday.


--- Sunday - 07/29/12 ---

OFF

A day off to rest and relax.


------------------------------------------------------------   

Both workouts: the 800's and the run up the Incline and onto Barr trail were great runs this week.  Legs are feeling strong and the speed workouts every other week are really improving my overall speed and leg turnover.
20 x 800m with 100m recovery is quite the workout.  If you have never tried anything like this before, I highly recommend giving it a try.  It benefits both mind and body.  Mentally, the thought of having to run 20 or so 800 meters is mind numbing at first -- but as the workout progresses and after you finish. Your mental capacity for future hard workouts will be that much more sharp.  Afterall, Its is your mind that tells your body how hard you can go, or how how much further you can run, or how much pain or discomfort you can handle before caving in. And I believe you are only as strong as your weakest link.  Therefore, increase your mental toughness and your body will follow!