Sunday, December 31, 2006

Ride Baby, Ride

Some quick thoughts on October's mountain biking trip.

Wow! 80 miles of singletrack with my buddies "Racer X" and "Tinker" was awesome. We wound up riding some extremely sick fun trails up on the Umpqua River. We even had the campsite to ourselves save for some occasional elk and a few retirees that pulled through. Granted it was a little cool (in the 20's in the am) but it warmed up just fine for the rides.

The trails were a ton of fun. Narrow single that danced up and down the face of the river banks steep canyon face. At times we were inches from the rushing river and other times found us climbing or descending 100-300 feet or more above it. All on a combination of nicely technical or undulating bubble gum track.

The videws were awesome. The rides were worth the trip up the long highway, and the time with the boys worth every bit of the sweat they soaked out of me.


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Thursday, October 12, 2006

We interrupt this programming...




So, I'm giving some serious thought to organizing a non-race run/bike event for next April for those crazy enough to consider it.

The "Ohlone Beast 40-50" is a one day combination run-bike. Beginning at Lake Del Valle it would go via the Ohlone Wilderness Trail (24 miles or 40K) to the trail head at Mission Peak Park at Stanford Ave in Fremont CA. The next segment would be a 50K (39 mile) ride via Calaveras Blvd back to Pleasanton. I expect that the run will take ~ 4-5 hours and the ride ~3.

This is pure concept and open to change. I'm looking for interested participants for any and all of the segments.

Let me know if you're interested or know others who might be. More to follow.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Riding and Running the Matterhorn-Part 2


In the first part of my visit to Italy, the weather gods smiled and gave me lovely weather. On the fourth day they exacted payment and the rains began as my train turned north for Torino and Cervinia. I rolled into Chatillon an hour late and was welcomed by Alech from the Hotel Les Neiges D'Antan. We drove up the winddy valley through beautiful mountain villages towards Cervinia as a light rain fell.

Friday was rainy and cool. The Matterhorn was hidden from view and clouds swirled around the hotel situated at 1900m above sea level. Ludovicco Bich, the hotel's son's owner and I poured over maps of the surrounding area and he highlighted trails that would quench my thirst for running and biking the area. I was jazzed! All my life I've wanted to visit the Matterhorn; I was finally here, but it remained hidden in a swirl of clouds and rain. No matter--I somehow knew I would get to see it during my three day weekend. For now, I drew solace from my first run which would aquaint me with the territory and allow me to take in the beauty of this incredible alpine region.

I set out in a steady downpour for my running tour. The steep walls of the valley were intimidating and beautiful at the same time. Snow dusted the mountains at the 3000m level and waterfalls seem to cascade off every steep angle. My goal was to take in the first biking route Ludovicco recommended and scope it out. The route took me briefly up the main road to a farm road that accessed several dairy barns and houses perched on the steep ravine sides.

I carried my running pack with water, warm clothes, food, and camera and ran at a steady pace up the very steep hills. I wore shorts, a raincoat and a hat. Two minutes in I was soaked wherever the coat failed to cover. Despite the slow pace, my heart rate was up due to a combination of excitement, altitude, and cold.

At the turn off, I began an even steeper ascent towards a herd of cows. Their bells clanged with every movement they made and they sounded like thousand wind chimes in a hurricane. I slowed to a walk as not to disturb them and snap a few photos. The attendant herdsman and his dogs watched me with curiousity. Past the herd, the road turned into rock and dirt but the pitch did not lessen.

I stopped several times in the ascent to snap pictures or take in vistas and images completely alien to my California home...stone roofs, long shed barns, brilliant wildflowers, and glimpses of rocky crests through the gray soggy clouds. My overall pace suffered but I was utterly content and happy.

The rain kept falling but my Marmot Precip jacket was keeping me dry. Even with the high level of heat and sweat I was generating it seemed to ventilate adequately for the run and I didn't feel over-heated. I was probably running a 10-11min mile pace given the incline of the road and desire to allow ample energy to go far without over committing.

I had brought along the trail map, folded for quick reference and protected by the rain by a zip lock bag, and was seeking out one of two trails that branched off the farm road. After a couple false turns, I found one of the trails which followed the contour of the hillside. The trail was faint and underused except by the local cows and now with the rain had become a grassy, cow-pie strewn drain. I decided to find the next trail instead. Another km up the road and 45 mintues into the run; I decided I needed to double back. While taking a runnning tour was absolutely a blast I knew I needed to save some energy for tomorrow's big mountain biking expedition. With some reluctance, I turned around, retracing my path and descended the hard won elevation back towards the inn.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Riding and Running the Matterhorn-Part 1

A business trip had me in Italy and offered up some great running and riding opportunities. The first leg was 4 days in Pisa.

On the am of Day 1, I set off in the early morning as the city was waking up on a running tour of Pisa and the surrounging countryside. I had planned on a light run but the scenery and draw of the distant hills beckoned me. Like the nut-job that I am, I ran towards the country and in 3 miles had exited Pisa and found a country road that pointed in the general direction of the mountain range 5 or 6 miles away. I kept a pretty steady but moderate pace knowing that I wanted to see as much of the countryside as possible without depleting my energy or compromising my hydration (I ran without water). Near my turn back point at the 30 minute mark I picked up a beautiful little trail that ran along an ancient aquaduct. An occasional bike or pedestrian met me with a cheery "Bonjourno!" as I ran. 80 minutes later I was back at my hotel and ready for all the aqua non gas that I could drink!

On Day 2, I kept it light given the time changes and sleep deprivation of international travel. The narrow streets and alley's of Pisa were quiet and there were few afoot as I ran along taking in the sights. I saw no other runners and the few Italians I encountered gave me no second glances so I had to assume I wasn't too foreign a site--but given how much they smoke I'm pretty certain I wasn't the norm either. My run took me down the main river and eventually onto a foot path that meandered down it's banks as it fell slowly away to the Mediterranean Sea some miles down trail. I doubled back at the 25 minute point with the intent of only putting in about 50 minutes on this run. The temperature was ideal--mid 60's--as I ran, the rising sun made the soft mediterranean tones of the buildings, homes, and red tile roofs even more warm and glowing. Along the river, a few hungry fish surfaced for a breakfast of mayflies that seemed to hover along the bank edges.

Day 3 was a rest day to prepare for my weekend of running and biking up in Cervinia--a village at the foot of the Italian side of the famed Matterhorn.....more to follow...

Friday, August 11, 2006

Good Advice


Caveat Emptor: My training notes are those of an amateur.

You want real advice? Ask one of these guys.

I've raced against Silly Rabbits in some 12 hour races. They are strong, tough competitors who are fun to watch. My vantage point is usually a couple hours to the rear of them.

Training Notes



Here's some random things I've learned, practiced, or ignored to my detriment over the last few years:
  • During a race, if food starts becoming un-tasty, hard to eat, or I start to lose my appetite, that's a pretty strong indication I'm dehydrated.
  • One Power Gel every 40 minutes is what I need to stay fueled properly for any race that will last 2 hours or more. I start fueling immediately when racing but my intake is in nibbles and small bites . I try to make the Gel last a full 40 minutes. I wash every nibble down with water. This helps to stave off dehydration problems and ensure I'm adequately hydrating.
  • After every 3rd Gel, (2 hours) I substitute a Power Bar (Caramel Crunch is my preferred) in lieu of a Power Gel. I make it last 40 minutes too. Too much fuel in the belly means too much blood in the stomach and that much less for muscles to oxygenate.
  • The fueling strategy above works great for running. Riding is more difficult. I recently got a Gel bottle and Bento box to make it easier to easily access fuel and to nibble away. Gel packs while riding can rarely be nibbled...it's an all or nothing proposition. The Gel bottle seems to eliminate that problem. The Bento box helps keep the Gel bottle and other fuel in easy reach..no stops to fumble for fuel.
  • For 8 hour plus races, a peanut butter honey sandwich works fine for "lunch." I stretch the consumption out over 40 minutes also. Pop a bite in, let it sit, and sip water to wash it down. Same as eating a bar.
  • Pre-race or pre-brick meals are critical to performing well. I strive for portion sizes of 1/3 carbs (usually a pasta), 1/3 protein/fat source (usually chicken or salmon), and 1/3 rich veggie (usually spinach).
  • 5 days straight of training, regardless of cross-training to offset wear and tear, is draining. I rarely do this except in heavy training weeks. Normally, I get a rest day once every 3 days. Usually, its Monday train, Tuesday off, Wed-Fri train, and train either Sat or Sun. Sometimes I schedule both Sat and Sun as training dates and make Friday an off-day instead.
  • Except on a treadmill or in the gym, I can't work out to music. Besides, I'm outside and on the trail with ears dedicated to listening for the whistling of the claws of a leaping mountain lion.
  • I'm convinced that upper body work is as important for me as a runner and biker as intense cardio work. I hate it, but have seen great benefits from working on overall strength and balance.
  • Pilates is silly looking but highly effective at building core strength and balance. Things I must have on the trail.
  • At 45, I'm not expecting to win any gold medals. Unless they hand them out for having fun. That said, I'm a typical Type A: I'm always competing.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Disaster, Recovery, Perspective


Racer X, my training and Adventure Racing partner, tore the meniscus in his right knee. That pretty much dumps this season's races. We're both bummed. For him, it's clearly a big blow--he's facing possible surgery and a few weeks of recovery. Maybe he can be prepared for our October 24 hour race, and we haven't written it off, but the odds are high against it.

For now, I need to recalibrate my goals and training regime. Having a goal provides motivation and drives away the easy and convenient excuses for slacking off or toning down the intensity. Maybe I should coast, but it's not my style. Let's face it, training can sometimes be painful so goals are wonderful reminders at times when the mind says "how about a Sundae instead?"

Because our ARs are skewed towards long cross-country mountain biking, my running distances and times have definitely been far shorter than in the Spring when I trained exclusively for a 50K. As my last post indicates, I love mountain biking too. But, there's only so much time and energy the fully employed family man can afford. So, accordingly, mountain biking was taking up a lot more of my schedule.

With Racer X out for a while, I'm going to try and balance that out somewhat. I love trail running. Today's run reminded me of what I do love about it. I put in a short, steep hill run today up on my favorite local trail. Just a 5.2mi loop with about 800' elevation game; but a good quad and calf power builder. I was the first out on the trail at 0645 and the morning East Bay area sky was it's usual cool, dry, and clear. I hit the top and had to stop--not 'cause I was winded--just needed to take in the beautiful vista that covered the ridgeline forest and the stirring activity of the valley citizens below me. I'm reminded on days like this that one reason I love trail running is not just the chance to get away from the noise and the bustle of city streets, but the chance to get quickly and deep within nature itself and take in great vistas or views of bob-cats, turkeys, deer--nature's bustle of activity.

So, I'm going to reset some goals. Maybe I'll do some half-marathon trail runs for now. This fall I have 4 days in Italy--I hope to run Chamonix or the Matterhorn area. I need to train and be ready for that. I can't wait.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Back on the Bike


A much long overdue update.

Training for the upcoming Adventure Race season began in earnest shortly after my big 50K.

My routine is pretty similar to the ultra training with 2 days at the gym for strength and endurance training mixed in with some running (cuz I like it so much). A total of 5 days of training total. But back on the menu is plenty of delicious mountain biking...dessert...for the sweathead.

My racing partner and a third mountain biking only partner--let's just call him Tinker-- have increasingly been spending some time riding the ridge and surrounding areas. Man I love being back on a bike! My climbs are a strong pace, my downhills pretty decent. Technically, Moab buffed my shine but there's much to be learned. The ride is a custom race frame--"The King"--a scadnium Kona with full suspension, 80mm Fox FLRT front shock, Hayes disks, Shimano XLT dereilleurs, titatanium Shimano SPD pedals, Mavvik SLC wheels, carbon fiber cranks, post, and bars. It weighs in at 25lbs and the weight is nicely and evenly distributed across the bike. I love it!

We've been getting in some nice rides preparing for the upcoming 12 and 24 hour races. Training rides have typically been 16-25 mile rides with a mix of dual and single track. Lots of good climbing. Technically speaking, however, the trails suck. However, even a mediocre ride is better than nothing.

Last week, I put in a good 5 hour brick workout. 1 hour run, 2.75 hour mtb ride, 30 min. strength, 15 min. on the jump rope, and 30 min. on the elliptical. I maintained a nice even level 5-7 effort through most of the brick and finished feeling strong and ready.

I'm feeling strong. My bike is awesome.

Monday, June 05, 2006

Snoqualmie running

Business took me up to Seattle and a conference in Snoqualmie, WA. I arrived early on Wednesday and found a local outfitter who was kind enough to point out some nearby trails in this beautiful lush green area. On his recommendation, I drove up to the trailhead and set out for Rattlesnake Trail to East Peak. The trail snaked up through a dark green forest up a steep climb to Rattlesnake Ledge and then continued up the ridge line to East Peak. Don't let the term ledge fool you. This was a non-stop climb from 900' to nearly 3500'. I expected some flat spots but saw none. Just a pure climb that while tough wasn't a killer. I kept a pretty steady 11:00 pace (I estimate) through switchbacks, smooth trails and the occasional root or rocky cluster along the ridge line. I passed a few hikers but the woods were earily quiet, dark, and sometimes down-right spooky. The wildly different topography and landscape from my East Bay, CA haunts kept my mind distracted and the occassional vistas were ample reward for the effort. Sixty-five minutes and nearly 5 miles later I reached the awesome views from East Peak. Needless to say the pace back down was considerably faster and I reached the trailhead some 35 minutes later.

The next two days the conference I was attending kept me close. Despite the rain, however (and I guess this is just something a Washingtonian just becomes oblivious to), I got out on some forest trails nearby the Salish Lodge. I got in two 10K runs through a very wet, dark, fern filled forest. The trails were a blast--soft, winding, and fast--I felt like a speeder in the forest of the "Empire Strikes Back."

Monday, April 24, 2006

A Goal Reached

5:59:56. Just 4 seconds under my calculated total and run goal for my 31 mile and nearly 8,000 feet of elevation gain birthday trail run. I couldn't have been more pleased with this my first ultra-marathon. Four months of training and untold support of family and friends got me there. What a thrilling way to mark my 45th birthday, albeit in somewhat less than a mainstream manner.

As I sit here with stiff legs some 24 hours later, I am just blown away with this adventure

Sunday started and finished under cloudy skies, cool temps, and light winds. Perfect running conditions. I awoke from a less than ideal sleep at 0500 (pre-race jitters?), ate a bowl of yogurt and granola, downed several glasses of water to pre-hydrate, filled water bladders, rechecked all my equipment, and relaxed with the paper while waiting on Racer X to pick me up at 0630. Bowing to athletic superstition, I wore my ragged, yet favorite, trail running shorts for the run. Racer X was prompt and by 0650 we were at the trailhead (pictured above). Mission and Rose Peaks were shrouded in clouds and already early morning hikers were climbing the slope in front of us. With a shot for posterity (or perhaps to help the coroner in the ID process later), I launched at 0700, as planned.

The first 4 miles were a steep assault up the side of Mission Peak from 390' to 2500'. I quickly transitioned from my intial running pace to a fast walk in order to keep my heart rate within the target zone and to remain prematurely out of the lactic acid building, muscle depleting range that would inevitably come late in the run. Up the face of Mission Peak, I monitored my heart rate and ramped up or down the pace, as needed. Reaching the summit within 39 minutes of the start, I looked to my watch and saw that my heart rate monitor had failed. Had I just died or did it just feel that way? Nope! the monitor strap battery had chosen this day to expire. Shrugging it off, I knew I would now have to listen closely to my body for the rest of the run and rely on internal signals and not electronic ones to judge my overall condition. In effect, it was almost liberating. I was no longer a slave to the HRM. From here on out, it was purely about listening to me, not the metronome of my watch. I picked up my pace and began a comfortable yet brisk descent down into the Sunol Regional Park at roughly 390' elevation.

From Sunol, I met the first 2 miles of a steep climb along the 10 mile climb to Rose Peak at 3500' with strength and plenty of energy. This was the first time I had laced together two segments that I had previously only run as separate training segments. RacerX had planned to meet me 4 miles in from Sunol at BackPacker's Camp. I had told him at the drop-off that I would be there within 02:15 from the start. I couldn't have guessed better on the time nor my calculation about theamout of fuel and water I needed to reach that point. To save weight on the first big climb, I had put as little in my pack, as possible. So I needed to see Racer X at that rendezvous point or I would be running hungry and thirsty! He was there on as expected and I was thrilled to see that I had predicted my time almost to the minute. I had drained my water 1/4 mile before I got there, too! It was an emotional pick-me-up to have him meet me there and I felt great physically and mentally! I was on schedule and on the mark on fuel and water so far.

With a quick change of socks and a re-loading of my pack, I was ready to climb out of the "gravity well" that I had monikered for this dip of terrain in the steady climb to Rose Peak. To get out of the well, however, I had to cover the next 1.5 miles that were virtually un-runnable. Even at a brisk pace I was hitting a very high HR. On this steep upgrade I met and power hiked past a troop of descending boyscouts who met me with strange looks (and I'm sure fouled noses from my stink).

Over the next 2 hours I climbed my way towards Rose Peak. I stuck to my eating schedule and slowly injested aPower Gel or Balance Bar every 40 minutes, taking care to wash every bite or slurp with water. As the climb continued, I increased my water consumption to ensure that I stayed adequately hydrated. I reached the junction of Maggie Ranch and Rose Peak at the 3:39 mark. In order to ensure I got the right amount of total mileage (the trail is only 27 miles and I needed 31), I had to circle the peak twice. That was a mentally tough shot to the head. As I looped back through the mist covered summit into the deserted Maggie Ranch campground near the summit, I stopped to refill my water bladder. Good thing I did. I had nearly drained the 1.5l I had carried and had drank .5l more than expected. For good measure, I filled my bladder bag to the 2.0l mark increasing my weight somewhat as a result. Knowing that my climbing was virtually over and I could afford the extra weight, it was a risk worth taking. On this last critical section when my body would be especially taxed and tired, I could not run short of water. Rose Peak was quiet and even the slight wind within the enveloping cloud was chilling. I was glad to start running again after the short water stop. It was cold and an alien place I now inhabited, both physically and mentally.

In the gray of the cloud and with 10 miles more to go, my confidence was somewhat dampened. The next section would be mainly downhill but my legs were beginning to feel the work. I was now into unknown territory both mentally and physically. I had never run more than 4 hours at a time; I had two to go I now thought--and hoped. And, while I had backpacked this trail once, 5 years ago, I had not trained upon this next section on my runs. How many boogie men lay ahead?

The next 0:40 minutes of running was mainly flat with a few (what were increasingly seeming to be steep) climbs of a 100' here or there. On the ascents, I could feel the muscle fatigue, but they were still strong and I still felt a reservoir of power lay within.

Mentally, I had broken the run into small segments. Running 50K seemed huge and overwhelming. By breaking the run into smaller more manageable sections I could mentally absorb and meet those smaller goals. Running a just a steep 2 mile section here, or just an hour on this flat section there was easeier to do and mentally manage. The mind is a very bad companion to bring along on a long run sometimes. So, at this point, I reminded myself that I only had to do a 10 mile run and I'd be finished. I had done plenty of those! No bigee!! Then I noticed I was talking outloud to myself. And I no longer thought my jokes were funny.

On the initial descent from Rose Peak I began to get some previews of the quad-aching downhills that were going to hit me in the steep descents in the final section of the run. At about the 5:00 mark I passed the marathon distance of 26.1 miles. Passing four backpakers, I cheefully complained, as I powered past, that the hills seem to be getting harder. (The hill was only 25 yards long). Only 5 miles to go. Then the steep descent from 3000' to the 2000' canyon floor below began. At the bottom of the river just 1.5 miles ahead, I would meet RacerX for the final 3.5 miles to the finish. As I descended on the narrow and twisty singletrack, I involuntarily grunted and groaned as tired quads shreaked. Passing a backpacker, he commented that I must have "knees of steel." How funny. I could barely feel my knees, but man my quads ached! I would have preferred the uphill to this pain! But down I went, knowing I was so close. I ran with purpose: below RacerX had my M&M's and he would be my only companion on a this long run and final dash to the finish!

Racer X and I simultaneously hit our meeting point. It was a great euphoric moment. But, the course wasn't done with me yet. It had a few nasty zingers it planned to toss at me. A last parting shot. The next .5 mile was an excruciatingly steep climb back out of the canyon. On fresh legs, Racer X set a brisk walking pace up that hill. Downing a mouthful of M&M's I stiffled a complaint and sought to keep up with him. RacerX kept up a continuous stream of comments and described the course ahead. I grunted here and there to acknowledge him and was grateful for distracting me from focusing on myself and the stiff legs and aching quads that now were a third, and unwelcomed companion on this segment.

The trail now turned steeply down hill. Painfully so. On fresh legs I would have cut loose and let gravity pull me with long stides and fast pace downhill. On tired legs, I postholed each step and grunted and grimaced. I braked instead of letting the clutch out. The quads would not have let me do otherwise I thought. A glance at my watch and a quick calculation of remaining distance said that if I were to make 6:00 hours, I would have to dismiss the pain and ignore the accelerating heart rate and step up the pace. I put the clutch in andwe picked up the pace. In the last half mile I was going flat out. Pain was completely blocked out. I saw the final mile marker and I grunted out the last few yards. Another 200 yards ahead I saw a crowd and recognized my family and friends. A suprise party! A welcome sight indeed as we kept up our pace and finished to a flurry of "hurrahs."

The race was done. The goal was attained. And, so what have I learned? Well, there is the obvious: training hard pays off. Goals can be realized if we apply ourselves. Things that seem insurmountable aren't nearly so if we break them down into smaller and less overwhelming pieces. Sacrifice has it's rewards. And family and friends are more precious and valuable than you give them credit for, even when you value them highly.

But what about the less obvious? I learned that I love challenges and that those goals give me life and appreciation for all those I live with, love, and even meet along the trail. I did this not as race because I wanted to prove to myself what I could do, and did not as a friend pointed out, cheapen it by trying to prove to others what I could do. I raced myself. And, I won. What a wonderful feeling to race yourself and win.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

On the edge

Tomorrow is the day. It will be the culmination of 4 months of training when I start out at 0700 and begin the 50K along the Ohlone. On the eve of that run, I'm confident yet anxious. Ready, yet uncertain. Strong but humbled bt what I'll attempt and what the next day will bring.

This last week was restive. Two runs while vacationing in San Diego: a four mile up steep canyon trails in a dry arroyo and 10 miles along the beaches. Both beautiful and different from what I've done to date.

So, tomorrow I will rise and be ready. I know that I have trained hard. I know that the route will tax me physcially and mentally and while I fear them both, I know that ultimately I will succeed. I will complete it. I will even do it within my target of 6 hours. It will be tough. I will be too.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Home Stretch

Sunday was the last big run. Now, I'm going into recovery mode. I put in 16 miles and ran at a faster than normal pace, pushing hard, and knowing that this was my last chance to get in a run that would boost me psychologically for my 50K.

And it paid off. I feel great and relaxed now going into the final preps. This week I have no major runs scheduled; just some weight work and rampups. Sunday, I have a short 4mile, big hill run, more rest and then one final 10 mile run before I hit the Ohlone on the 23rd.

RacerX and I discussed support over beer on Saturday. He'll drop me off at the trailhead at 0700. I expect to see him 2.5 hours later at the 12.8 mile mark for water, fuel, and dry socks. I'll keep my weight to the minimum on this first 1/3 of the most strenuous part of the course. I won't see him again until mile 27. I'll have more water and M&M's to help charge me up for the last few hard down-hill miles.

It's going to be an ass-kicker. No doubt. But, I'm ready.

Monday, April 03, 2006

Gasser-up

I took my last preview of the 50K route this weekend. Saturday was an Irish green day. The trail was gushing with run off from nearly 10 straight days of rain. The grasses were as lush as they get and the grazing cattle seemed to make no dent in the trailside growth. However, they made their presence known in other non-subtle ways. The trail was often churned into clay-glue or strewn with cow pies a la mode. Pleasant.

But that was just backdrop to a great run. I started out at the midway point again, climbing out of Sunol at 390 feet to a quarter mile short of the highest point of the run--Rose Peak --at 3590'. Temperatures were perfect for running (low 60's-high 50's) and the sun obscured by puffy cumulus.

With lessons learned, I concentrated on regulating my pace and heart rate and minimized peaks out of my 124-157 range. Mainly successful in this effort. Passed a number of through hikers relishing in the fact that it would take me 4 hours to cover what would take them 2 full days.

Books on running encourage you to never run with foods you haven't tried. Having read about the benefits of raisins I took a long a pack to augment my usual powergel and balance bars intake regime. A few miles into my descent, and a half pack into some raisins, I began "sounding off" with a few ear blasting, belly brapping burps that picke up in frequency. So did the ache in my gut. Each heel strike seemed to bounce my stomach like a mad pin-ball. Sweet Jesus! I had discovered gastro distress. And there wasn't a damn thing to be done about it but stop eating those bloody raisins! I gave them an evil glance after passing a 3-some of hikers a stomach bouncing that I'm sure must have been able to see. I'm sure they heard me belching for several miles after I passed.

Focusing on my stomach, my feet decided to rebel in a vain attempt to get my attention back. A mistep in the earthy trail goo (thanks cows) and the next thing I saw was sky, land, sky, land, sky... My first ever trail running fall. 8 miles from my truck. Fortunately, only my pride was damaged. A mile downhill I washed off the mud from my butt and right forearm in a watering tank.

I finished out the run tired but not overly so. Bear in mind that my final run will have 2 big hill sections. I'll handle them ok. But with 8,000 of climb, its going to be tough.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Reset

A great 10 mile run today was the icing on a good work out week.

I needed it. Last week sucked and as a result, I realized I needed some rest. I've pushed back my run to Apr 23rd now. With Dan's lobbying for a return to common sense and listening to my body; I realized I had pushed too hard after the flu. This week proved that some rest was needed. Today's run was a very fast 10 miles on my small hill route with an average of 8min/mile.

It's amazing how setbacks can effect the psyche and how we respond when the setbacks turn into advances. I was dancing on cloud 9 after today's run. A day off, then Saturday I'll do 18-20miles.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Back on my feet

Today was my first run back after last Sunday's disaster. On Dan's suggestion, I took 3 solid days off of any activity. His admonishment was clear and accurate: "The flu is an unfortunate obstacle that you need to deal with responsibly - not plow through with steely determination." Steely, Dan? I found out it was pyrite-like. A fool's gold.

So, accordingly I took off on a 5 mile, moderately paced run. I also went down an old favorite trail and took along my geeky GPS module to find out exactly how far it really is down to the turn around point. The wife heaped on some extra admonishment when I doubled back into the house to grab it: "You have so much equipment now, you seem to always keeping coming back for something you forgot."

So off I went at a comfortable and moderate gate for 5 miles. Keep the heart rate in the green...no more than 151bpm, son. Oh yeah, I forgot, my favorite old trail was something like 6.1 miles or so and that's what I needed to check on....maybe I'll push a little further.

At the first mile, the GPS beeped and I checked the readout to see my pace. 7:30 mile. Not too bad for a "moderate pace." Maybe I'll just push it along at this rate for a while? Pyrite. PYRITE. P-Y-R-I-T-E! you moron. MODERATE PACE!! So I moderated back to about 7:45-8:00 and motored along my planned 5 mile route according to plan. Not a bad run...er.. for 6.255 miles exactly according to the GPS. Hope Dan's not reading this.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Too much, too soon


I came down with the Flu on Wednesday at 1:51am. Well, actually, it was more of what came up in the wee hours and for the next 8 hours. By Thursday, I was feeling about 70% of normal. No way I was running and, in fact, I cancelled all training with the expectation that I'd be ready for Sunday's 22 mile run. By mid-day Saturday, I was feeling "ok" but still not 100%. Still, I planned for the run but in my mind had scaled it back somewhat.

Sunday, I felt normal. Or nearly so. Almost. Maybe. But, pride goes first, so off I went promising to do a double check at the 1.5 hour mark to see if I needed to return early.

I hit my local ridge line knowing that I'd still have some tough climbs to do. The sky was a brilliant blue, no clouds, and the visibility was somewhere around 100 miles. Just amazing.

The first 4 miles started off steeply and continued a steady climb up from 360' to 1200'. And in those first 4 miles, I knew deep down this was going to be a bad day. My heart rate was 10bpm too fast before I took my first stride and quickly shot up into the high 150's. For 4 miles, instead of walking to bring down my heart rate, I pushed it and watched my heart rate average 157-161. Way too much anarobic burning for too long. Pride pushed me on.

Topping out on the ridge line, the views were stunning. I could see the northern coastal range well beyond Mt. Tamalpais some 35 miles North. To the North East, I could make out the snow capped Sierra's near Lassen, and to the East, puffy cumulus cloaked the Tahoe region. I pushed on, confident that I could bring the work load down for the next few miles and get back some energy. A check of my pace shoul have sent me warning signals. I was only seeing about 12 minute miles over the last 6 miles and my heart rate was still too high.

I hit the 10 mile mark feeling "okay" but not great. By now, I knew I was going to have a hard push back if I doubled the trail. All I could think about were the miles ahead. Not good. So, I took some "short cuts" and rationalized only an 18 mile run. At about 11 miles, I knew it was going to be a stinker. Small hills pushed me up into the redline. My power was gone and my body was working on getting oxygen to rapidly draining quad muscles. Food got harder to eat. By mile 13 I had regained the top of the ridge line and knew that the next 4.5 were largely down hill. That only pissed me off, because I knew I was spent. There was no power left. And I hadn't yet even done half the distance I need to do in 4 weeks.

The last 2 miles down hill were painful on tired quads. I was never more happy to reach a trail head and never more disappointed.

Too hard too early. Too soon after an illness. Too much, too soon. Damn.

Monday, March 13, 2006

20 mile climb

This isn't the Alps. Nor the Sierras. This is simply the coastal range that the I will climb and descend in my upcoming 50k run. It's not normally covered in snow. But, it was on Sunday when I had a scheduled 20 mile run.

The Bay area was under a week long assault of storms spinning out of the Gulf of Alaska, so there was plenty of cold air and moisture being dumped on California. The result was snow on the surrounding foothills, cold showers, and wet trails.

I loaded up my running bag with some extra weight: a waterproof top, heavy-layer windshirt, and enough food and water for a 4 hour run. The bag definitely felt heavier as I adjsted it at the trail head following a brief rain shower.

The run was spectacular but much tougher with the extra weight. I kept my heart rate within my target zone as much as possible. The sky was filled with heavy cumulus clouds and the ridget tops I was headed for, were cloaked in a layer of white snow. As I ascended up through the first mile, a lone coyote watched me pass--was that a look of sympathy or did he consider me just a poor menu item?

I hit the "gravity well"--the point where the trail turns down for a mile before climbing very steeply back up for another 2 miles--feeling strong, but the wind was growing colder and I slipped on a my wind vest to keep my core warm. About 1.5 hours after I started, I hit the snow line and my foot prints through the slush reflected my steady pace. At a junction in the trail, I came across two hikers--astonishingly dressed in cotton, with jeans soaked through up to their knees. We exhanged "how-do's" and recognition of our mutual turn-around points, just 3 miles ahead. As I took the last 2 miles up-hill, the snow deepened and I found myself "breaking trail" through 3-4 powdery inches of snow. Overhead, an East Bay Regional Parks helicopter buzzed the trail and circled over my turn around point at the ridge top camping spot. Trouble for campers or were they worried about 3 knuckleheads out on such a blustery day?

I began the trip back down feeling comfortable but certainly worn for the 2:15 of near constant climbing. The trip down was anti-climatic but clearly demonstrated how bruising this run will be. I was clearly tired and pushing myself as I finished up my 20 miles. Was it the extra weight? The fight against the elements that took extra energy? Or, as it later turned out, the early stages of the flu that hit me 2 days later passed to me by the kids? Don't know. But, next week's 22miler will tell me more.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Geek out!

Yesterday I got in a fast 10 mile, small hill run according to "The Plan". My legs were fresh and I averaged a consistent 7:45 split along the distance. Man that felt good.

Sunday is a 20 mile, big hill run. If I average 11 min/mile (as I have been for steep elevation gain trails), I expect about a 3.5 hour run. My last big run was 16 miles and was just shy of 3 hours over the back half of my 50K run course. This run I expect to do in closeby on the nearby ridgeline trail which bounces back and forth between 500' and 1400' elevation so I hope for a little better average run time. Still, hitting the 20 mile mark on a trail run is a little bit of a psychological hurdle that leaves me a little anxious. This will be my first foray into that 20-something range and only 6 miles short of a marathon.....

I snagged a great deal at REI and aquired a GPS unit that ties into my Timex BodyLink system for $56 (!) so I'll get to nerd out and monitor heart rate, pace, distance, etc. I wonder if I'll be smart enough to look up and enjoy the view?

Monday, March 06, 2006

Another simulation


Sunday, Racer X and I got together to shake up my regular training routine. It was also a chance to get back to our pre-race season Adventure Racing training simulations that I've missed out on given my current focus. Every 6 weeks, we hold what we call a "4 Hour Block Session". During this training session, we mix up a variety of endurance, aerobic, and strength exercises to prepare for the demands of our 12 hour races. The 4 hour block we held this Sunday was a nice prep for my 50K and also a chance to get to do some other training that my current regime hasn't included.

Our training plan called for:
  • 15 min jump rope
  • 60 minute trail run
  • 1.5 hour mountain bike ride
  • 30 minute endurance strength training
  • 45 minutes on the elliptical machine
To make this simulation as close to racing as possible, we seek to keep transition times down to the minimum (like a race), carry our race bags and all needed fuel during any movement training, and try to maintain a good steady "race pace" throughouth.

Sunday's weather was iffy with a huge storm bearing down on the Bay Area with high winds and lots of rain predicted. We got off to a late start at noon with clouds threatening but no major rain yet apparent. 15 minutes on a jump rope is extremely boring, so we were pretty happy to head off up the hill on our 60 minute run. We carried a pretty relaxed pace (Racer X is not a runner) and stayed within our target heart rate zone pretty well. Because of the pace, the distance was below my usual, but still I was more concerned about the overall 4 hour time than actual miles. Heading back down the hill our pace quickened as we both looked forward to the biking section. It had been nearly 2 months since my last good back country ride. This one felt great as we picked up the pace and doubled back up the hill we just descended on our run. The winds had picked up to 20-30 knots when we reached the peak. Fortunately it was mainly a quartering or tail wind except for a short section on the return.

As the rain was now imminent, we elected to throw the bikes in my truck and motor to the gym instead--our only cheating of the day. Timing was everything as we hit the gym just as the clouds unleashed with a downpour.

The gym work was rather anti-climatic but a good sound work out despite the contrast to the first half of the block. We probably looked a little strange in mud stained clothes, pushing weights followed immediately by jumping jacks. We were left alone--despite a few strange looks--although neither of us were sure whether it was because we looked too crazy or just smelled too bad.

I finished with lots of energy still left but I was ready to eat a horse. I settled for clearing out every left over in the fridge.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Preview, part 2


This is the view up Mission Peak in Fremont. It's at the start of the Ohlone 50K and was my second preview run of the course. This picture doesn't do justice to the 1800' of elevation gain and the pitch of the trail over the first 2 miles. It's a chunk blower.

When I arrived at the parking lot at the trailhead, it was already full and overflow parking began another 1/4 back down the hill. Surprisingly, the lot and trail were filled with families and hikers on this windy, overcast Sunday morning. I set off, intent on staying within my aerobic boundary to ensure that I'd have a good 16 miles despite the tough course. I would need to master this first 8 mile section as it would set the physical tempo for the remainder of the 23 miles in my upcoming run. Put too much energy in to it and I'd be spent before starting the next big climb 8 miles later in Sunol Regional Park.

This run would take me to the top of Mission Peak in a little over 2 miles and then a gradually sharpening descent down to my turn around point at Sunol some 6.8 miles later. Pace and tempo, I reminded myself as I launched up the hill.

I blew that mental footnote in the first 1/4 mile of the ascent up Mission Peak. Just 2 minutes in and with the trail pitching steeply, I was already pegging the top of my heart rate limit boundary. Just dandy. I forced myself into a walk a 1/4 mile later as I began hitting a solid and damaging Zone 4 heart rate--too much time in this zone and I'd wear down my muscles too early to sustain a long, tough 31 mile run. Even as I walked, my heart rate monitor quietly reinforced what my eyes told me...this was a very tough pitch. I overtook serious hikers and, of course, family groups with my heart steady at 159. I needed to be back down around 152 at the most, in fact. In a few sections, as the trail pitch decreased somewhat, I'd push back into a run, but not once could I get a walk to fall under anything less than 145 bpm. 40 minutes after starting out, I summited the crest and was hit in the face with a howling 25-30 knot wind. It cut through me and chilled me quickly despite the heat generated by the extreme climb up the hill. Pulling a jacket on from my bag, cap sinched, heart rate back down to acceptable levels, I pushed on into the teeth of the wind. Around me the green hills looked like pictures of the Scottish Highlands with its rocky outcroppings jutting from wind swept grasses. I steadied my pace and stole longing glances at the Redtail Hawks that screamed across the sky and hills around me.

The views of the coastal mountains to the east and the San Francisco Bay to the north were gorgeous and accentuated by bursts of gray from rain showers scattered about the area as I began my descent into Sunol. With gauges in the green, the balance of the 8.5 miles to my turn around point (at exactly the same elevation I started! YIKES) flowed smoothly. I passed one runner ascending the back side, the only human I would see on this part of the course. 1:21 after starting, I reached the gate to the Sunol Regional Park, hit my lap function on my watch, and began the trek back up the backside of Mission Peak heading for my truck.

In a couple spots, I slowed to a walk to keep within the zone, but for the most part, I managed a steady 11:00 miler ascent up from the 390' at Sunol to the saddle on mission peak at 2100'. I kept up steady fuel and water intake and took in the beauty of this wilderness jewel in the bay area. Nature rewarded me as I neared the top when I spotted a Bob Cat prowling across the grasses about 75 yards upwind. Spotting me, he took off in a sprint for a rocky outcropping, watching me I'm sure, as I resumed my not so nearly impressive run.

My first ascent of Mission Peak took me 40 minutes, but the steep downhill descent I faced as I reached the saddle was going to shorten that time considerably. The whipping wind alternately acted as a restraint and then accelerator as I madly let out the clutch and dove for the parking lot. Whipping past hikers and now a few ascending runners, I reached the parking lot at the trailhead 12 minutes later...6 minute miles down the peak that at times bordered on controlled falling. Hitting my stopwatch, I saw that I had covered the 17 miles in 2:49 for an average of 10 minute miles. Not bad. In fact, better than expected given the steep terrain.

A great run. A big lunch. A hot bath. A short nap. A great success, I think.

Friday, February 24, 2006

And now, for something completely different

Today was supposed to be a 50+ routine: one set, 50 reps, at 50% of capacity. Having scheduled a "check up" with my trainer Dan I suspected he might throw in a surprise. I wasn't disappointed.

Dan devised some new routines for maxing me out instead of the usual 50+. We did sets of 10 counts at full capacity. Let me explain his torture technique.

Using my full load for each upper and lower body muscle set, Dan would have me raise the weight on a slow 10 count, hold it under tension for another slow 10 count, and lower it again on a slow 10 count. Lather, rinse, repeat...until muscle exhaustion. I was able to burn out 3-4 reps. Man it hurt! This is an exercise in pain endurance, I think. On the bicep curl, I was sure I was only going to get 3 out of it, but Dan got me to the 4th rep. My muscles were screaming at the end of the 3rd, getting the curl up and then holding it on the 4th was pure will power, requiring a recall of deep intestinal fortitude. That wasnt' the only thing I nearly brought up. At the end of each set, I'd be light headed from lack of blood to the brain. Some would contend that is probably a normal condition for me given my goal here.

Tomorrow's a day off. Yesterday's 10 mile run was great. All guages in the green. Sunday is preview, part deux, when I'll take on 16 miles over my 50K route's biggest climb.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Sunday's Cruise

A fun 10 mile "big hill" run had me back up on the Ridge today. The last front has dumped cool and unstable air into California so the air was crisp and the skies filled with billowing cumulus as I began my run.

I focused Sunday on the pacing strategy I'll need for the 50K run and fine tuning my running cadence to keep the effort well below anarobic levels during the first half and steepest portions of the run.

It was also 'geek' day, as I futzed with my heart rate monitor to try and set a cage around my expected work load. I used 122 as the low end of my running range and 156 as the top. Go below the range, I'd get an alarm and know to speed up; too high and it was time to walk/reduce my stride.

Off I went. The first 2 miles of this run are a pretty descent ascent, so 3/4 of a mile into the run, my upper end alarm started to sing out. Now, the first 2 miles are also the most heavily trafficed with runners and bikers and the section I'm most likely to have an "alpha" moment. Today wasn't an exception, so up I climbed "ding a linging" like a ding dong. Hitting the top and clear of "competitors" I slowed my stride down and settled into comfortable 135 bpm over the next few rolling miles of trail. Descending into the next valley, I occassionally had to increase my stride to keep above the lower threshold level. After 4 miles, and just before the steep 1 mile climb up to my turn-around point, I calculated I was averaging 10 minute miles over the 1500' elevation gain of the course. Not too bad! On the climb to the halfway point, I slowed my pace to stay within my limits and twice slowed to a brief walk in order to get my heart rate back into the zone.

The return trip was pretty much a mirror image of the first segment. The gauges were in the green and I was feeling pretty good. No residual soreness the next day seems to indicate that this was a good pacing strategy to keep me out of destructive anarobic levels that will be unsustainable over my 50k on the Ohlone.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

"Just the Facts, Mam"

I'm at the mid-point in my training for the big run. Since, I began "the Plan" on 7 January, I've had the joy of:

91,000 calories expended in training
31:18 hours of training activities
158.9 miles of running
35.03 tons lifted

Except for the weight lifted--which I did all at once--this is the accumulated total since 7 January. I'm now six weeks and half way to my 50K.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

You are what you eat


You may remember that I've proclaimed the virtues of Turkey Jerky in my never-ending daily forage for protein and other nutrients my body craves. There are other noteable and nuitritional foods out there and I have learned to hunt them down (without vice presidential support-thank you), and where necessary, even eat them with little regard to the regimes and teachings of haut-culture.

Yesterday's lunch for example was a contrasting study in mutually repugnent but nutritionously valuable foods. Ladies and gentlemen! On this side of my lunch plate I present you with left over Thai Green Curry with chicken and eggplant--loaded with many wonderful grams of protein and some delicious carbs mascarading as rice and coconut milk! Flavor and lots of thai spices a tasty bonus but not a required option! And in this corner, weighing in wtih no less than 2 serving portions--tuna fish and mayonaise salad --without the salad--actually I just didn't have time to get it before starvation kicked in--so really just tuna and mayo. YUMM! That's 45g of protein, roughly 8g of fat, and a whole lot of tummy loving food! But, not one you'll find being offered TOGETHER at say The French Laundry, but phey!, you won't see Chef Keller humping out the miles with me either.

Oh, the FDA says my favorite lunch food--tuna-- may have too much mercury which may result in memory loss. I should be so lucky.




Sunday, February 12, 2006

Yehaw Sunday

After a week of fighting the effects of a cold, today I finally got some of my energy back. Good thing, as I also had a 10 mile run scheduled on big hills. That meant a visit to my local East Bay ridge line for some out-the-back-door running.

Since I'm still not back at 100%, I decided to work on two endurance running techniques of zone running and pacing. I was shooting for an average hear rate of 140 with peaks at no more than 157. This would effect my pace and I would have to dial back on my speed. I figured that with some very steep hills on this section I was going to see about a 11:00 mile average. This would put my run at about 1:40 minutes requiring, I calculated, about 1 liter of water. I also wanted to shoot for a faster back half than front half run time so energy conservation would be important.

Sunday was gorgeous here. A forecast high of 74 was expected as I left the house at a comfortable and dry 52 degrees. The trailhead was packed with cars and signs of many mountain bikers out on the route. I left the parking lot just ahead of one biker who passed me .5 miles in. Despite my very moderate pace, I knew I'd reel him as the trail steepend before the summit, 1.6 miles ahead. I did and without breaking my heart rate limit..heh..heh. I hit the top feeling comfortable but I could tell more ragged than I would expect on non-cold impacted runs. I throttled back to hit 135 bpm for a short period before the next trail up-turn. Around me, trees had begun to blossom or bud out and the hillsides were becoming showing the typical spring time lush green carpet. The trail wound through scrub oak capped with rich blue morning skies.

Mile 4 to 5 was a sharp hump up a series of switchbacks that often challenge even the most experienced and conditioned mountain biker. Hitting my heart rate limit twice, I would slow to a walk until my heart rate fell back into the zone before resuming my pace. It worked out nicely and I hit the half way mark well within my target pace time. Now I had a two miles to accelerate on downhill and flat sections before hitting "Hell Bitch Hill"--a nasty .5 mile up-grade that can turn calves into knots of fire. I ignored my heart rate limit and kept a steady pace despite hitting 164 bpm on the climb. Topping out, my heart settled back down as I hit a short flat section before another short climb. Downhill from here, I let out the clutch and cruised downhill to the parking lot at about a 7:20 pace as gravity gave a boost to tired but happy muscles.

A great run.

Friday, February 10, 2006

A week of blech

I've had a cold since Monday. Coupled with Sunday's tough workout and some major work realted issues, this week I've been a giant stinking mass of suckdom. Getting motivated and hitting my workout plan with any enthusiasm has been a difficult to say the least.

Monday was a day off and time for rest. Unfortunately, a cold took over and changed it to a day of severe sore throat. Tuesday was 20/5's and a 5 mile run. I felt like I was swimming through jello in bloomers. Jared's old bloomers to be exact. Wednesday was nominally better, but sore throat became stuffy head. Thursday's 6 mile run was mercifully short but my runny nose left a trail a slug would envy. Friday. Finally. 50+ went ok with some strength returning. Mercifully, tomorrow is a rest day. I could use it.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Previews

Who doesn't love previews? Hollywood has it down to such an art form that most people rate the previews higher than the movies they paid money to see (I made that up, but it's gotta be true). They make every movie look it's the one you have just got to see! I mean they even made "Jackass, The Movie" look appealing, didn't they?

Sunday was scheduled as a 15 mile run on "big hills". So I decided I would go preview the venue...that meant I was going to go hit a section of the Ohlone that I would cover on my 50K. My Sunday run would see me visit...this...this...and..this part of my April run. I planned an in-and-out which would cover 7.5 miles climbing from 390' to 2350' and then back down. I had a great meal the night before, filled my bag with a 1.5l of water, 4 power gels and a balance bar, and had a great morning breakfast of my usual yogurt and granola. I was ready to go. And so was the weather. The wind was blowing up a nice strong breeze out of the north on a cloudless but mild 55 degree day. Perfect for running.

I started out on a brief stretch of flat trail before it began the turn uphill that would end only 7.5 miles later. My heart rate began a climb, as well, from 135bpm target up to 157...159...161... YIKES! Now normally, if you know you're going to run for 2.5-3 hours, a smart guy would cut back. Let's put me down in the "not smart guy" category. I backed off, yes, but not enough, I would later find out. Still, I topped a few tough segments and settled back into a decent but still higher than targetted heart rate. I knew I was up too high, but I was feeling good.

Minor hiccup near the top of the first uphill segment. Poking myself in the eye as I flipped on my sunglasses, I managed to pop out a contact lens. No way to find that...a sacrifice to the field nymphs and wisdom gained that sunglasses aren't worth the effort on runs.

But, why not feel good despite the slightly distorted vision! The area was gorgeous with green grasses starting to turn the hills velvety. Behind me I had awesome vistas to the north. I could see every building in San Francisco 50 miles north of me and even beyond to Mt. Tamapais. I pushed on feeling physically and psychologically strong. The missing contact was a mere fly that briefly annoyed but was now gone.

At about the 29 minute mark, I got my first respite with a slow descent into the backpacker camp that marked the jump off into the Ohlone Wilderness. A few cows mutely watched me run past or indifferently saluted me with the whooshing splatter of the now digested grasses that made up my verdunt scenery. Nice.

Then the trail again turned mean and nasty, sloping up at an impossible angle, slowing me to a walk as my heart rate now reached 170and jumped into Zone 5. Damn this was an ass sucking monkey! However, this was more of a mental road bump than a physical one. Within a mile, the slope moderated and the pace picked up. Heart rate still too high, but strength was there. Some momentary confusion on location, a quick check of the map, and I was off again. In the near distance, across the grassy slopes, I picked out !WHAT! two runners, then a third. There's more than one fool out here, I see. I crossed behind them as they ascended a different part of the trail having nearly caught them. I was moving!

Finally a flat spot for my last 1.5 miles to the turn around point. After continuously nursing two Powergels, out came my Balance Bar (lunch). I fumbled in my backpack and pulled out my cell. A quick call home to announce the half way point and then I began the backtrack out. I was feeling a great high of accomplishment as I descended with awesome views of the coastal mountains and the Bay laid out before me.

At the top of the Backpacker camp, I met a 60+ year-old runner armed only with a water bottle. He announced he had started in Fremont! This guy with only water had just completed 12.5 HARD miles and was only just reaching his turnaround! Man, I felt wimpy in comparison. In our quick exchange, he indicated there were some runners coming from Del Valle that day. I had discovered a looney bin and it appears I barely qualified as shelf liner.

The descent back was almost worse than the ascent. Each step was tough on the quads and my feet began to chafe. (Note to self: prep the feet before this run with some runner's balm.) Even on small uphills, I began to notice my heart rate was jumping up too high. I had overdone it. Still, I kept my pace and slowed as needed to save knees, feet and heart some work. But, I was glad to reach the truck 2 hours and 48 minutes later well run, but not overly tired.

Lots of lessons this week. The preview was good, but clearly this was going to be an epic story, not some Hollywood feel-good movie. Viewer discretion advised.

Monday, January 30, 2006

Lili Von Shtoop and Running

Madeline Khan, as Lili, does an off key parody of dance hall saloon divas, in the movie Blazing Saddles, singing:

"I'm tired, tired of playing the game. Ain't it a freakin' shame. I'm so...let's face it. Everything below the waist is ka-put."

And so it goes. Yesterday was a hard 11 miles on some steep trails up on the ridge. I was dragging early on in the steep ascent up the trail--a residual, I think, of running 2-10+ mile runs within 48 hours of each other. At least that's what I'm going with for this excuse.

On the up side, I was able to practice fueling while running and work on evening out my pace/workload between tough climbs and steep descents (one secret is not to fall). I find that 1.5 PowerGel's per hour washed down with water keeps my energy level just right on a short run. I try to constantly sip off the packet and coupling it with water keeps me hydrating at just the right frequency. As my runs get longer, I'm going to need to add more fuel and other non-carb focused sources of energy to sustain myself. Dan and I talked about avacadoes, PB and Honey sandwiches, and other things with fat, protein and carbs. Protein takes longer to digest but will be needed to keep my body from raiding the muscles, instead.

Today, my calves are pretty sore and my hips a little stiff. Not unusual after such a vertically challenging run, but this is a piece of cake compared to what I'll face on Ohlone. 'Course it doesn't help when my Type A runner personality kicks in at the site of someone ascending ahead of me.... blowing my even pace and spiking my exertion into the anarobic level. Overall, I averaged 10 min miles--given how steep some of this was, I feel pretty good about that--this is still faster than I expect my Ohlone run average to be. My last downhill section was slow, though (around 7:40), so I was obviously a little ragged out at the end.

On the other hand, regardless of how I feel I just had to work her line in along with this picture.

Friday, January 27, 2006

Week Three Check

I'm definitely feeling stronger and faster without having to offer bone, gristle, and ligament wear as a sacrifices to the gods. Running times are up, but un-like Mecury while I've got the fleet feet, I'm missing that really cool hat and paint set.

Rampup/Sprint Intervals have been good at building anarobic capacity and are some very intense 20 minute workouts. Amazing. The strength routines have been focused on building endurance strength. One routine is the 50+. For this, I'm supposed to lift 50% my normal workout weight for each muscle group. One set. 50 times. Slowly and in PERFECT form and tempo throughout. The first 25 go pretty easy but then the burn starts. By number 50 your grunting. Now everybody grunts in the gym(even the muscle chicks), but here I am, say with 12.5lb dumbells in my hands sitting next to a guy snatching 50lb bells and I'm moaning like Atlas. You feel kind of silly. The difference is, that guy did 3 sets of 10 plus rests between each set over the same period of time I was doing my 50. Well, it makes me sound studly, but I still feel like I look goofy. On the other hand, it's working.

Today's run was 10 miles on small hills. Went great. Felt great. Yehaww!

Sunday, January 22, 2006

This is what it's all about

Sunday. Point Reyes. What a beautiful day. Gorgeous. Indescribable. The reason we live here.

Today was an unbelieveably clear and warm day. What most visitors to California don't realize is that beach weather is in the winter. Car loaded with picnic supplies, beach chairs and toys, we motored out to Point Reyes National Park to one of the prettiest beaches in northern CA.

The plan was to get there at lunch time. Bekah and the kids would eat while I put in a planned 7.45 mile trail run up the steep coastal hills along the shore line.

My run started at sea level and I had planned to climb 600' in 4.8 miles before descending back to the beach. The run started out flat and easy. In about a mile, I began the ascent from the salt marshes to the highlands beyond. Recent rains made the trail very wet with the path at times a small stream and footing muddy and wet. Quickly, I gave up on keeping my feet dry and began the wet slog up the trail; mud flying and shoes squishing. Fortunately, my Salomon's were perfect for this kind of running. The trail ascended through coastal scrub and grass land. About 3 miles in, I came across my first herd of fallow deer grazing in the newly emerging green grass brought on by winter's rains. A couple of white fallow's were in some distant groups that I came across.

The views were stunning as I ran through the scrub. I kept a nice easy pace but the NFS mileage signs were completely wrong. No way I did 2.6 miles in 32 minutes (a check later on my topo maps confirmed that the signage was done by the Stooges--in fact, I had completed 3.5 miles). An offshore wind blew in my face as I reached my course turn, 4.8 miles later. Only then did I find out that the back course was close. This meant that I had to track back on my uphill course. Instead of being 2/3 of the way there, I was now half way. My run just went from a little over 7 to just short of 10 miles!

Back to the beach in a series of descents and small ascents passing only 2 couples out hiking in the bog. My legs were covered in mud as I finally reached the beach. Emily and I played in the water as I rehydrated.

A couple lessons learned. Despite the fact that my run only climbed 600' in 9.6 miles, my pace was considerable slowed by less than ideal trail conditions. In some parts of the bog, I had to gingerly step around deep pockets of mud. This slowed my pace down to about 9:30 overall, despite good long down hill sections running at better than 7:30 mile pace. I'm starting to think that a reasonable estimate for Ohlone is 13-14 min mile pace average given the terrain....that'll mean about 7 hours over the 31 mile course.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Small Hill Thursday

I hate running on pavement. It's one reason I took up trail running. Asphalt assuaults. Concrete creamates. After about 4 miles on the pavement, I can almost feel my knees grinding. Running on concrete sidewalks: a prescription for disaster. An even more insidious attribute of road running: the constant noise of four big tires on pavement or the lingering odor of a car smoker. But once you hit the "zone" you no longer notice it. I hit a grove and all I think about is the next step. My breathing relaxes and I hit a smooth comfortable gait. 90 steps per minute. Regular, deep breaths. My eyes take in the sky. I hardly register the guy in the massive Suburban chatting distractedly on her cell at 20mph above the speed limit cutting dangerously close to me at the road's extreme edge...well almost.

I pounded out 7.5 miles today over the rolling hill course today. Ramp-ups and strength exercises seem to already having a positive effect. I ran to maintain about a level 6-7 effort or a high Zone 3--just slightly higher an effort than I expect to expend on my run through the Ohlone. My flat course mile time was a about 7:25 which kind of stunned me. With hills, my average came down to about 8 minute miles. Clearly, I was running faster at a lower work effort. Must remember to double up on Turkey Jerkey.

Speaking of which, I was starving all day. I ate about 6 meals and just about every thing with as much protein as possible--not consciously--responding to my body's demands. For lunch, I wolfed down a 3 serving packet of tuna fish: that gave me about 32g of protein (and about 4ml of mercury, I'm sure).

By the end of Thursday, I'm usually pretty tired. By then, I've accumulated 3 hard days of muscle stress and, of course, working hours and sleep routine, exacerbates the fatigue. Last Friday, I was dreading the day's 50+ routine. Tomorrow, Dan and I will meet and do the 50+ together and he'll introduce some pilates into my routine. We'll see how that goes.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Ramp-ups


Twenty minutes today on the elliptical. That's it. But a mad 20 at that.

Ramp-ups start at a level of effort of 5 (where 10 is as hard as you can go) for 5 minutes, then a minute at a 6 effort level, then a minute at 7, then at 8, and a minute at 9, then back to 5, up to 7, 8 9, and 10, and back to 5 to cool down.

They're devilishly evil. In theory it sounds pretty simple, but by the time you reach 10 your eyeballs begin to bulge. And the fat guy next to you wonders what your problem is.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Uphill

Today was uphill training day. I hit the Pleasanton Ridge for short 5.25 mile run today. Yeah, I know the plan called for 4, but the weather was beautiful...endless visibility (I just got a glimpse of the back of my head, it was so clear).

The trailhead starts at 700' elevation (about 300' above the surrounding valley) and in 2 miles gains another 500'. It tops out on a rolling ridge line with some fantastic views of the Tri-Valley to the east. Today, you could actually see the Sierra's snowy crestline 100 miles to the east.

The first half of the run is a rather mild incline but steep enough to slow my usual 7:30/mile training pace to 9 minutes/mile. The remaining mile takes a decided pitch up, especially in the last 1/3 of a mile and knocks my pace down to about 10 min/mile. I'm likely to see a LOT of this kind of hill on my run through the Ohlone.

Being this was Sunday, the trail was loaded with weekend moutain bikers, hikers, and dog walkers (some knuckleheads try to combine 2 or more of these at time leading to predictable results). Unfortunately, this kicks in my type A urge to run faster than I should. Overtaking a weekend rider on foot satifies the sadistic side of me, but in fairness, even strong riders would have a hard time beating a runner up the hill. My best time on my bike up this hill is only 2 minutes faster than my run. And the last 1/3 of the hill, I doubt Lance could ride faster than a strong runner. However, he is a minor deity, so I may be wrong on that one.

The run was exceptional..whether because of the rest the day before or because my weekly run miles were lower and thus I was more rested, or what?... and I equalled my fastest climb time.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Day off

Whoohoo!! Day off! Nothing on the schedule but kicking back. Its a rainy Saturday so the timing couldn't be better.

On the other hand, I just watched a cadre of the "Huffers and Puffers" run by in the rain and felt a pang of guilt for not being out on the trail.

There's a bit of primordial fun trail running in nasty conditions. One of my favorite runs happened last year during a blustery spring storm. The winds were howling, rain came down in sheets, and the trail was 7 miles of mud and puddles. The trail ascended from the staging area to a rolling ridge line and as I topped out I couldn't help give a "WHOOP" of joy. I felt really alive and connected to the energy of the winds, the waving trees, the sounds of rain on path, and the bright green carpet of spring grass that swirled with every powerful gust. I alone was enjoying it--not another soul (thus confirming my madness) crossed my path. That is, until a Red Tail Hawk soared past me at nearly eye-level, swooping and twisting through the trees and riding the wind like a snow-boarder in a half-pipe. I swear that hawk was enjoying the ride and the show as much as I.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Time

Let me be honest. I'm very lucky.

My job allows me to work from home: no commute, but for the 13 steps down the stairs to my computer. Time: at least an hour and a half a day not spent gazing at this guy's bumper sticker.

I have very flexible work hours. And while I haven't read her thesis ("Det flexibla arbetets villkor om självförvaltandets kompetens")-mainly because I dont' speak Swedish--I do know I have pretty good time management skills and no disruptive coworkers popping into my cube.

My team is largely virtual and changes based upon the project. Because they are widely dispersed over many different timezones, my hours can and often have to be very flexible.

I'm an early riser. I like to start working by 6am. That means my day can end early enough that there's plenty of daylight left for other things.

Most of all, I have a family that understands my obsession, tolerates it to the point of what might be described as supportive, and is probably happy that I didn't take up fast cars and NASCAR women.

And Dan was kind enough to make sure I only spent long hours running my ass off during the weekend.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Turkey Jerky

Protein. I need to eat lots of it. Growing muscles and everything. Dan wants me to shoot for 80-100g per day. Since cow rustling isn't a misdemeanor, finding alternative, healthy sources is a tough and constant foraging exercise.

Breakfast is usually Fega Greek Style Yogurt (20g) with Granola on top (French Vanilla just to piss off my conservative friends). Mid-morning or afternoon snacks, I've found Turkey Jerky (14g per 1 oz serving) is a delightful way to sharpen my teeth and build my jaw muscles.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

The Plan

Dan's plan was to train my body for endurance strength without burning out my body in the process.

But, Dan! I want to run, you're cutting me back!

His response: "I’m cool w/the extra mileage but intentionally scaled back the miles in the early weeks to give your body a chance to get used to integrating the high-intensity strength, high-intensity cardio and Pilates, none of which you’re currently doing. The other feature I like in mine is that you are combining strength with your flat run (which you should do at a faster pace than a longer flat or a hilly run.) The thing is that even a less intense 6-day per week schedule for six weeks I think is ill-advised, because of the greater risk of injury and burnout. That’s why I gave you two rest days. It’s still a 2.5/1 work/rest day ratio. Very ambitious. Don’t get hung up on the accumulated miles for the wrong reasons (you like to run and you feel that the diminishing returns point re: wear and tear on the joints is much further out than it might actually be.)...(this will be a big help to your biomechanics and core endurance, so don’t scoff, runner boy!)

Dang, I hate logic. So Dan wins. And, I think..strike that...know it'll work. So, here' s the Plan (cue angels singing).

W/E

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Jan 15

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

Sprint Intervals

run 6 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 4 H

Jan 22

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

Ramp Ups

run 6 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 4 H

Jan 29

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

S/I

run 8 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 7 H

Feb 05

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

R/U

run 10 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 10 H

Feb 12

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

S/I

run 12 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 15 H

Feb 19

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

R/U

run 6 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 8 H

Feb 26

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

S/I

run 8 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 10 H

Mar 05

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

R/U

run 10 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 16 H

Mar 12

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

S/I

run 12 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 18 H

Mar 19

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

R/U

run 10 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 20 H

Mar 26

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

S/I

run 8 h

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 22 H

Apr 02

(off)

Strength - 20/5; run 5 f

R/U

run 10 H

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 16 H

Apr 09

(off)

50+; Pilates

S/I

(off)

50+; Pilates

(off)

run 4 H

Apr 16

(off)

50+; Pilates

run 10 f

(off)

(off)

(off)

Ohlone Run

"f" means he wants flat runs, "h" means small hills, and "H" means torture yourself freely. So, I got that going for me.