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.